Existentialism in Asian literature: exploring Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore and Norwegian Wood through the lens of Sartre and Camus

Abstract

World literature contains themes related to human existence that impact life experiences. In English literature, Asian literature's contribution to existentialism is often overlooked. Existentialism is apparent in the writings of Haruki Murakami. By examining existential themes in Kafka's On the Shore and Murakami's Norwegian Wood, this paper seeks to close this gap. In this case, existentialism is employed to analyze the lives of the two primary protagonists, Toru Watanabe and Kafka Tamura. This paper examines how Murakami's story reflects the existentialist ideas of Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre, including absurdity, alienation, and individual freedom. This paper will examine these characters' existential struggles to illuminate Murakami's unique blend of Eastern and Western existentialism and offer a more comprehensive view of the role of human identity in contemporary Japanese society.