Haruki Murakami writes bestselling postmodern surrealist fiction. His work often focuses on loneliness and alienation. I’m writing this article in response to a reader’s question about how he writes about women. I’ll focus on two books Kafka on the Shore and 1Q84. This article will focus on sexuality and will quote explicit passages from Murakami’s…
Tag: women’s roles
Gender Expectations of Edo Period Japan
The Edo period made Japan Japan. This long segment of peace shaped Japanese gender expectations and continues to influence them today. Japan was once a matriarchal society. The influx of Confucian ideas from China around the 15th century eroded the ability of women to hold power. Confucian ideas stressed hierarchy, male dominance, integrity, and righteousness….