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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Kafka on the Shore

1) Kafka on the Shore is a coming-of-age story told in a magical realist style. The story concerns two men: Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old boy from Tokyo running away from an emotionally abusive father; and Nakata, an older man who can communicate with cats. These two travel throughout the south of Japan in search of the mysterious entrance to a spiritual realm.
2)The power and beauty of music as a communicative medium is a central theme of the novel. I believe that this is the theme because Kafka uses music to calm him down and speak to others. Another reason why is because the novel itself is named after a popular song in those times.
3) The tone of this novel would have to be wisdom. For example, on page 66 it states "Man alive, how'd you get all that blood all over you? What the hell were you doing? But you don't remember a thing, do you. No wounds on you, though, that's a relief. No real pain, either-except for that throbbing in your left shoulder. So the blood's gotta be from somebody else, not you. Somebody else's blood." This shows that Kafka's conscience, "Crow" is really is inner reflection.
4)The main literary element that I can find in this novel is magical realism, the author uses magical realism to describe how Kafka is having sexual relationships with a ghostly woman, who really turns out to be his own mother who he has been searching for the either story.

7 comments:

  1. What is the main conflict of the story?
    Were nay other literary devices used, for example symbolism?
    Can you explain the theme more please?

    Patrick Sims P.3

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  2. How are Nakata and Kafka on a collision course throughout the novel and how does their convergence take place on both a metaphysical and reality level?  

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  3. What are some other literary elements you found?

    Nathan Seidenberg
    P.3

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  4. In what way is music used as a communicative medium?
    Patrick Fraire
    P.3

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  5. Is the authors tone throughout the story soft? or does it change as the story goes on?
    Max Kuhlman period 2

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  6. CAN YOU PLEASE ELABORATE MORE AND GIVE ME MORE DETAIL ABOUT YOUR NOVEL...QUOTES PLEASE???

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  7. more please. i feel i'm missing everything in this story.

    ReplyDelete