The Boy Named Crow Identity Essay

Do the stresses of society prevent us from finding our true identity?

Every society, religion, organization or group of people have a fixed set of rules and ideals which dictate the ways members should act, look and live. From the conception of the each society or group to now, the rules have been so ingrained generation after generation that they have become accepted as the norm and as a result every person involved has strived to maintain the standards that they have come to believe are to be upheld. Those in charge are extremely serious when it comes to the criteria set for each person and have many different avenues available in order to ensure that no one steps out of line. In addition to that, the members are often so deeply rooted in what they are told is the norm that they too react negatively to deviances mainly through judgment and in more active cases violence. Individuals can
no longer be defined as individuals as everyone has become the same, all trying to conform and be socially accepted. The tension that arises when one tries to stand out and be true to themselves is especially felt in modern day seeing that so many people are gaining the courage to want to be themselves

According to Merriam Webster Online Dictionary, identity refers to the characteristics including but not limited to beliefs and qualities that make an individual different from another. Individuals are identified by firstly their names, followed by their family names, religion, ethnicity, nationality, education, job and basically any group of people they are associated with. These parameters used to determine one’s identity however are usually on a base level and do not require much knowledge about one as an actual individual, that is, the type of person they are, their beliefs, ideas, reactions towards certain things and personality. People are not always born knowing exactly who they are as a person since such a discovery comes with age. In fact, Jeffrey Jansen Arnett actually formulated a concept known as “emerging adulthood” through which he designates the age range of 17 (late adolescence) to 33 (early adulthood) as a period known as “emerging adulthood” as the people between these ages are no longer teens but also not fully adults. This stage of life is one of development characterized by self-discovery and independent exploration in all areas of life but particularly in love, career and perspectives on the world. These years are years of experimentation and endless possibilities. In terms of love, people usually go through several meaningful and playful relationships, countless casual sexual encounters and intimate interactions with people of the same sex, all in hopes of finding the right person for themselves. Career wise, individuals tend to use these years as an opportunity to try different career paths in order to find one that makes them content for the rest of their lives. They usually go to college, do internships, part-time and full times jobs to gain experience and greater insight into what is available in the working world and what is best for them. Lastly, people generally develop new perspectives on the world and life. Most often they grow up seeing things a certain way but as they get older and experience the joys and sorrows of life, they begin seeing things differently. This is probably one of the most important parts of someone’s growth as a person mainly because how they see the world around them would greatly affect their behavior, mind set and how they treat and interact with other people. Unfortunately, major prohibiting factors along an emerging adult’s journey to self-discovery are culture and society’s limiting influence and structures. The inflexible and strict ideologies of society and culture more than often restrain the opportunities, resources and freedom, these individuals require in order to be able to truly find their identity. This idea of identity restriction is greatly explored in Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore through the main character Kafka. Murakami presents Kafka as desperate and on the run from a dreadful prophesy predicted by his father that Kafka will not only kill his father but also sleep with his mother and sister. Murakami’s use of this prophesy by Kafka’s father was a metaphor for the demands and expectations parents place on children to conform to today’s society. Most parents are very into society and ‘old fashioned,’ they see things the way society does and are definitely very close minded in their thinking about the way the world works, as a result of this, they always try to instill into their children that they need to go to school, they need to be doctors or lawyers or engineers and they need to be married by thirty and give them grandchildren because this is what society expects. Just as film director Spike Lee said, “Parents kill more dreams than anyone,” so to did Kafka’s father’s prophesy represent the innumerable times parents have prevented their children from achieving their true identity due to them being set in the ways of the world. Additionally, Murakami’s use of surrealism, which goes into the unconscious and subconscious of Kafka in particular, allows readers to get a further grasp of the identity struggle Kafka is experiencing throughout the novel.
Seeing things from Kafka’s perspective creates a greater understanding as to the problem of identity restriction he is facing as an individual in trying to find himself, without being defined by his father. The Boy Named Crow is presented as Kafka’s superego, which he strives to be and turns to for frequent motivation. Murakami’s use of this was very significant, because he was able to highlight the struggle that so many people deal with. Individuals often create dual identities, the person they want to be and the person society wants them to be. There is always tension existing between these two entities for control of the person. It is difficult for an individual to decide who should take precedence because while they want to be free to be whom they want, they are afraid of society’s judgment thus leaving a power struggle between two different
identities. Murakami’s decision to include Oshima into the novel was incredibly genius seeing that it provided a perfect example of an identity struggle experienced in today’s society, that being those of transgender individuals. Society has made it clear that individuals need to conform to the gender roles and expectations of the gender they are assigned by birth, which is ordinarily either male or female. However, people during their process of self identification, or more commonly at younger ages know that they were not born the way they should be and as a result they decide to live up to their identity and become transgender. This, unluckily, is not as easy as it seems mainly because of the pressure society exerts on such individuals. They put themselves in a position of great vulnerability, where they not only need to develop a sexual identity for themselves but always be able to harmonize their new found identity with that of their biological sex. Such individuals are usually the target for victimization, bullying and violence because they lack the resources to develop a positive identity for themselves and their decision leaves them isolated from everyone around them due to the difficulties to integrate such a compound identity with not only their cultural and ethnic backgrounds but also their family circumstances. Ignorance leaves room for many reasons as to why people decide to become transgender such as mental illness and gender identity disorder which is unfortunate as people refuse to allow people to assume their true identity seeing that society’s rules don’t allow it. Murakami’s use of Oshima’s character strength and self-identification provided a clear instance of the importance of self-discovery. Even though Oshima admits in the novel “I know I’m a hopeless, damaged homosexual woman,” there is a definite sense that Oshima has found who he was destined to be. As a result of this, Oshima was successfully able to assist Kafka as well as offer advice to him during his dilemma and thirst for freedom and identity. A popular quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “we must be our own before we be another’s,” summarizes the importance of finding your identity and is very effectively illustrated by Murakami’s character Oshima. The general idea is based on the fact that in order for one to be truly able to help someone, offer advice, love or simply have a meaningful interaction with someone, they need to realize who they are and where they stand as a person. In doing so people can be able to better relate to one another because there is no uncertainty about who they are. The importance of self-discovery and gaining identity is probably one of the most important aspects of life, unluckily however, one that society neglects to notice. There are countless people lost in this world, looking for the right things in the wrong places when what they are truly seeking is themselves. Society’s fixtures are definitely to blame for these lost souls but when will there be a sincere freedom for self-discovery? Over the years there have been several advocates who championed ‘being who you are’ and ‘living your truth’ but they too however have been judged and shunned by the close minded. The majority of these advocates are celebrities and a perfect example is Caitlyn Jenner who recently transitioned from male to female at the age of 65. Many have viewed this as outrageous and completely disturbing but it just goes to show how completely unaccepting society is. People should be free to be themselves and be encouraged to do so not slandered and hated because they are tired of living a lie. Society is stuck in its ways but as the generations progress and become more open minded, the chances of a future where freedom to find your identity and be truly you seems promising.