Paradox of Existence in Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore and Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day

Abstract

Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore and Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day deal with the stories of people who are constantly in a fight between their own self and the version of themselves that is created by and for the world. The Remains of the Day explores the life of Stevens, whose authentic sense of existence is closely associated with what he does or shows to others. Kafka of Kafka on the Shore is fighting against a prophecy, something that he considers to be his ultimate fate, and is insecure of his freedom of choice. With Keiji Nishitani’s theory of Nothingness, this paper aims to conclude an answer on what makes one’s existence authentic, whether it is constructed by one’s external world, or it is an innate sense of self free from external influence, and also, to what extent free choice can win over the dependence on fixed fate.