Emma's post

 One of the things I found most thought provoking about The Wild Sheep Chase was the way that Murakami presents time through Boku. Boku seems to always be one step behind, whether this is in a realistic or fantastic sense. While throughout most of the novel the world around Boku seems to be relatively normal, time remains throughout the whole novel to be one aspect which is incongruent with Boku’s life. He describes on various occasions that he always realizes things too late or that he simply missed that something has changed. The way he describes the changing world around him seems to suggest that his mind lags behind in some kind of a daze. These moments are especially pronounced when he is presented with a changed reality, one that is inconsistent with his memory- or his own reality. His anger and distaste for the changes in his hometown reflect this frustration with the inconsistencies between the passage of time and their state in his mind and memory. Change seems to slip by Boku in the same way that one might pass an acquaintance on the street unknowingly; if one pays attention, time would not simply slip by but Boku’s passivity towards life does not allow him to recognize the changes occurring around him. In this way, changes seem to occur abruptly and without notice, making the reader question whether the changes were really so abrupt or if Boku simply allowed the signs to slip by. The presentation of Boku in this way creates, throughout the whole novel, an air of disconnect. This reminded me specifically of the slow-fast effect used in filmmaking where one character moves slowly while the world around them speeds by. While the novel does not present the themes of time inconsistencies more readily until the end, it is clear through Boku and his perceptions that they are present throughout the whole novel.