The Wandering Soul: Myth in Murakami´s Kafka on the Shore

Abstract

This study investigates the transformation of mythological motifs in Haruki Murakami’s novel, Kafka on the Shore (2005), focusing on the themes of the wandering soul, shifting selves, and psychic fluidity. Utilizing Julia Kristeva´s theory of intertextuality, the study explores how ancient narratives, such as the transmigration of a soul, is repurposed into a postmodern setting. It argues that Murakami´s use of the wandering soul motif is transformed from the traditional purpose, which is for cosmological order and spiritual redemption to the reflection of the fragmented and unstable self. Furthermore, Homi Bhabha´s concept of hybridity serves as a framework for the exploration of identity. The analysis of the character Kafka Tamura reveals an unstable identity, where his alter ego, Crow, serves as a guide through what Bhabha describes as a "Third Space" of enunciation, i.e. a liminal, interstitial site where fixed identities collapse. Similarly, the character of Satoru Nakata is examined as an empty vessel whose psychic fluidity allows him to act as a metaphysical medium through which the boundaries between dream and reality collapse. Ultimately, this study concludes that Kafka on the Shore reimagines myth, transforming it from a fixed divine decree to a postmodern exploration of the self.