LE RÉALISME MAGIQUE ET LA RECONSTRUCTION IDENTITAIRE DANS KAFKA SUR LE RIVAGE DE HARUKI MURAKAMI

Abstract

Magical Realism is a narrative genre that involves, in a realistic setting, supernatural and magical events. However, these events are generally accepted by the characters and do not produce any feeling of anxiety or strangeness. Thus, this supernatural side is generally based on the myths and beliefs of a specific culture, which is why it is used to respond to peoples' issues while highlighting suppressed voices and oppressed ideas. This genre is present in Haruki Murakami's writings as a means of claiming Japanese identity that has been deconstructed by the force of modernization. This research paper aims to analyze the unusual occurrences in Kafka on the shore, in order to show how through this genre, Murakami denounces modern society and values the singularity of Japanese identity. Keywords: Magic realism, fiction, culture, modernization, capitalism, cultural identity.