Toru, the protagonist of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, exhibits traits of a postmodern hero but does not fully fit the role. He has flaws like paranoia and infidelity, feels isolated, and wants to be a hero but often fails. While he has some gritty qualities, applying a Western literary structure may not fully capture the novel's intentions, as it draws connections between Japan's history and culture in a way that requires an understanding of those Eastern influences.

1. Round-Table Discussion Notes
Topic:The entire course hasbeenanexplorationof the heroandhisquest.Inthisunit,we meta post-
modernhero.
1. DoesToru fitthe criteriaof a post-modernhero?
2. Is there anothercharacterwhichyoufeel wouldfitthe role more precisely?
3. Is Toru anotherkindof hero?(ie.tragic,classic,etc.)
4. Is itfair to lookat novelsthisway(toimpose astructure that maynot have beenintended)?
5. Can we lookat thisnovel withWesterneyesandunderstandingof literatureandart?
1. Does Toru the criteria of a post-modernhero?
a. Has flawsand frailties
i. Paranoid: believesthatNoboruisoutto gethim, and he seeshimall overthe
place.He also believedthatinhisdream, Noboruwasspeakingdirectlytohim
throughnational television.
1. Page 79, “Whenit came to Noboru,my systemrefusedtofunction.”
2. Page 80, “WheneverIglancedata TV somewhere,he wouldbe onit,
makingsome pronouncement.If Iflippedthroughthe pagesof a
magazine ina doctor’swaitingroom, there wouldbe apicture of
NoboruWataya,withan article he had written.Ifeltasif Noboru
Wataya were lyinginwaitforme just aroundeverycornerof the known
world.”
ii. Unfaithful:evenwhenhe wasuncertainasto the motivationsbehindKumiko
runningaway(he wasn’tsure that she leftonpurpose,etc.),he still actedas
thoughthe marriage was overbyhavingsex withCretoKanoon two instances,
while semi-conscious,inadream.
1. Creto Kano calls herselfa,“prostitute of the mind.”
2. Page 279: “May Kasahara hadbeenright:there were justa few too
manywomenaroundme.”
3. Page 189, 190: the secondinstance of Cretoand Toru havingsex.
b. Is isolatedand alienated.
i. If he disappeared,he knewthat the world would still go on without him,
because he didn’tknow of or talk to many people.
1. Page 250, “But my one-dayabsence wasprobablynothavinganeffect
on anybody.Notone humanbeinghadnoticedthatI wasgone,likely.I
coulddisappearfromthe face of the earth,and the worldwouldgoon
movingwithoutthe slightedtwinge.Thingsweretremendously
complicated,tobe sure,butone thingwas clear:no one neededme.
c. Wants to act, wants to be a hero, sometimesdeludeshimselforothersinto thinking
he isone, but he fails – remains paralyzed.
d. If he actually managesto achieve hisgoal, he tiresof it, changeshis mind or findsit
unsatisfying.

2. i. He wassuperintolaw,and wantedtopursue it.He was goodat it, “My role at
the firmwas-notto puttoo fine a pointonit-thatof professional gofer.AndI
was goodat it. I mightsayI have a real talentforthe executionof suchpractical
duties.I’ma quickstudy,efficient,Inevercomplain,andI’mrealistic.Whichis
why,whenIsaid I wantedtoquit,the seniorpartner(the fatherinthisfather-
and-sonlawfirm) wentsofar as to offerme a small raise.”Withthatsaid,“But I
quitjustthe same.”
e. He is more accessible to readers because he is more “gritty.”
f. He is oftendisillusionedwithsociety,orincreasinglybecomesso.
i. From the beginningof the book,we
g. He oftenseeksfor redemptionor revenge forhis own satisfaction,and sometimesfor
the greatergood of society.
h. Unlike the classic tragic hero, he doesn’t always thinkabout what the right, moral
thing to do is – he oftenthinks about what’s right for him
i. He is oftenmisunderstoodby othersin his society.
i. Page 325: May tellsToruthat she isgoingback to school because the life is
startingto getinvolvedinwithToryisgettingtooweird,“I’ve decidetogoback
to a worldthat’smore normal.Butif I hadn’tmet youhere … I don’tthinkthings
wouldhave turnedoutthisway.”
j. Qualitiesnormallybelongingto villains– such as amorality, greed,and violent
tendencies–are temperedwithmore human, identifiable andevennoble traits.
i. Toru isnot a typicallyviolentandaggressive individual,butwe cannotignore
the fact that he attackeda musicianandshowedno regretwhatsoever.
ii. Toru alsoattacks Noboruinhisdream to the pointwhere Kumikohadtopull
Noboruoff of life support.
k. Has no agency: the capacity, condition,or state of acting or ofexertingpower,
i. Thoughhe wasable to effectivelythreatenNoboru,he wasstill pretty
powerlessbecausehisthreatswere emptyair;page 203, “What I had saidto
himwas almostpure bluff.Ididnotknow NoboruWataya’ssecret.”
l. Is pre-destinedformediocrity.
i. Page 199: NoboruscoldsToru,“From the firstday I metyou,I knew betterthan
to hope youmightamountto anything.Isaw no signof promise,nothinginyou
that suggestedyoumightaccomplishsomethingworthwhile oreventurn
yourself intoarespectable humanbeing…AndI was right.You have been
marriedto mysisterforsix years,and whathave you done inall that time?
Nothing,right?”
ii. Page 324: May tellsToru,“You’re such a supernormal guy,butyoudo such
unnormal things.”
m. Will move from one disappointmentto another, and his effortsalways endin failure.
2. Is there another character which you feel wouldfitthe role more precisely?
a. Kumiko:
i. Doesn’t thinkingabout what is right for society,but for her: inher letterto
Toru, aftershe ran away,she admitsthat, at the time,she didn’tfeel guilty,
regret,or thinkheractionsthrough,page 275.

3. 3. Is Toru another kindof hero? (ie.tragic, classic,etc.)
a. Tragic Hero
i. Tragic heroesalwaysdie,andTorudoesnot,while manyopportunitiespresent
themselves.
1. Downin the well,Mayacknowledgesthatshe can kill him, butno
matterhow manynear-deathscenarioshe isinvolvedwith,he never
dies,page 259.
ii. Usuallyhave a tragic flaw,one abouttheirpersonalityusually,butToruhasa
physical one,hisblotmark.
b. Epic Hero
i. The epichero isinsome ways‘superhuman.’AndToru – ina way – is
superhumandue tohisblue blotonhisface (whichpresumablyhealspeople andisthe
reasonNutmegrecruitedhiminChapter4 of Book),andalso hisabilitytobe semi-
consciousinhisdreams,as seenwhenhe metthe telephone ladyinhisdreamwhile in
the well,andendeduptravellingthroughawall.
c. RomanticHero
i. Are oftenrejectedbysociety.
4. Is it fair to look at novelsthisway (to impose a structure that may not have beenintended)?
5. Can we look at this novel with Westerneyesandunderstandingof literature and art?
a. If we turnback to the essaywe were handedoutinclasstitled,“Haruki Murakami’s
storytellingworld,”the pointof the novel wastodraw referencesbetween Japan’s
brutal past and quiet,serenepresent,andasJapanand the Westernworldhave
completelydifferentcultures,etc.,sowe cannotaccuratelyunderstandthisnovel witha
whole-lywesternworldview.
i. “[Marukami] decidedto… face the ghostsof Japan’spastthrough a varietyof
works,”which,obviously,included,“The Wind-UpBirdChronicles”.