Senses in “UFO in Kushiro”
“After the Quake” is a collection of imaginary short stories written by Haruki Murakami which became well known after his emotional impact of the Kobe earthquake. The protagonist in “UFO in Kushiro” is Komura, a Japanese salesman, who practically lives as an average person nowadays. However, five days after the earthquake, Komura’s perfect life falls apart when he finds a letter from his wife, saying that she is gone forever. Trying to get use to the thought, Komura takes a break from his work and goes on a journey to deliver a small box to another part of the country. Haruki Murakami presents the story with an illustration of various senses. A Visual image is one of the author’s senses in the story that helps readers to imagine a picture in their minds. The sense of touch and hear are also extremely supportive in “UFO in Kushiro” to understand and imagine the sequence of the story.
Haruki Murakami, the author of the “UFO in Kushiro,” presents the story with a sense of sight so that it is easier for readers to visualize a picture in their minds. One of his images is Komura’s wife who seats for five days in front of the television intrigued by the losses after the earthquake. Haruki Murakami explains:
Five straight days she spent in front of the television, staring at crumbled banks and hospitals, whole blocks of stores in flames, severed rail lines and expressways. She never said a word. Sunk deep in the cushions of the sofa, her mouth clamped shut, she wouldn’t answer when Komura spoke to her. She wouldn’t shake her head or nod. Komura could not be sure the sound of his voice was even getting through to her. (505)
A person can think that Komura’s wife was not real or something strange happened to her. The author gives another explanation: “She stayed rooted in front of the television from morning to night. In his presence, at least, she ate nothing and drank nothing and never went to the toilet. Aside from an occasional flick of the remote control to change
Haruki Murakami, the author of the “UFO in Kushiro,” presents the story with a sense of sight so that it is easier for readers to visualize a picture in their minds. One of his images is Komura’s wife who seats for five days in front of the television intrigued by the losses after the earthquake. Haruki Murakami explains:
Five straight days she spent in front of the television, staring at crumbled banks and hospitals, whole blocks of stores in flames, severed rail lines and expressways. She never said a word. Sunk deep in the cushions of the sofa, her mouth clamped shut, she wouldn’t answer when Komura spoke to her. She wouldn’t shake her head or nod. Komura could not be sure the sound of his voice was even getting through to her. (505)
A person can think that Komura’s wife was not real or something strange happened to her. The author gives another explanation: “She stayed rooted in front of the television from morning to night. In his presence, at least, she ate nothing and drank nothing and never went to the toilet. Aside from an occasional flick of the remote control to change
Cited: Murakami, Haruki. “UFO in Kushiro.” The Literary Experience Ed. Bruce Beiderwell and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. Boston: Thomson, 2008. 505-517