haruki murakami’s novel: sputnik sweetheart

Posted: August 6th, 2013

Haruki Murakami’s Novel: Sputnik Sweetheart

Introduction

Suffering is one of the ordeals human beings have to endure at some point in their lives. In the novel, “Sputnik Sweetheart,” by Haruki Murakami, suffering is evidenced by the decisions his characters, Sumire and the narrator, make when faced with difficult situations concerning love. Characters within this novel are in a love triangle that causes suffering in their life for having to give up their dreams to follow love, which does not materialize. From reading the novel, love is better, despite the suffering faced by the characters. The suffering caused by love for these characters is frustration, after they realize the person they love will never love them back, in the same way. The author makes a claim that love is not worth sacrificing for; thus people should live alone. However, despite the frustrations of love, I argue that it is worth to love than not, since there is no way to know whether love is returned if one has not loved. More over, not loving is even more frustrating than a love that is not returned because there are possibilities it could be returned one day.

Haruki’s Sputnik Sweetheart. Retrieved on July 24, 2012 from

Fisch claims that the condition of language as well as its restoration is the focus in Murakami’s Sputnik Sweetheart novel. Murakami and other prominent scholars from Japan are highly convinced that the need to restore language as a vital communication tool came barely after the winter violence in 1995. Therefore, in this comprehensive analysis, Michael embarks on arguing in search to unravel the imagination, transformation and recovery of Japanese language. Cultural shock is an important element discussed in this novel. On the events of winter 1995, Japanese community is aid to have succumbed in a state of shock. Michael is quick to point out that it is almost impossible to prevent the effects brought about by shock in this life. However, he says that shock offers people a liberating moment in a real life setting.