Reading Journal - "Norwegian Wood" #1

Forests, with sunlight sliding through the leaves of the tall and sturdy trees, always seem to arouse a mystical atmosphere. In “Sleeping Beauty”, Aurora awaits her true love’s kiss in the forest, having been cursed into a deep sleep. As for Katherine Paterson’s “Bridge to Terabithia”, Jesse and Leslie build their own sanctuary - or should I say kingdom - in the forest, where they feel safe from those who do not understand them. It appears as if forests encourage for magical happenings to take place.

Some literary critics, however, go further on to say that forests symbolize the journey one takes to discover a woman’s secrets and her story. This may be the case for Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood”, as Toru and Naoko often walk in the woods.

The story of the two starts off with Toru recalling the unforgettable day he spent with Naoko in the meadow eighteen years ago. He talks about how he was too busy thinking about his love beside him to appreciate the scenery, but is then surprised to realize that it is the first thing that comes to his mind. I believe this is so because purity and honesty - conveyed through the meadow and the forest - is what is central in their relationship; neither Toru nor Naoko plan out his or her next move, but rather behave as they wish, based on their unscarred, unfiltered feelings and thoughts.

That they endlessly walk without a destination is another fact that points to the basis of their relationship. Walking instead of riding the subway or driving a car means that one is willing to take his time and look around. It is like what comes to our mind when we think of a person who likes walking: one who enjoys the transition from one place to another and gives everything along the path a glance. After all, it is widely said that when you walk, things you might not have seen otherwise catch your eye. Also, when searching for something, we often look past the objects in our vicinity and forget about the most trivial factors that may later turn out to be the most helpful. Similarly, Toru and Naoko may as well be trying to define their relationship by walking on and on, without a single idea of where they are going. It felt to me as if the forest was a place of their own amidst the big, busy city of Tokyo, where they had no obligation whatsoever to what others thought. They simply chose to take their time, notice each other’s smallest habits, appreciate them, and wait for the right time when they can genuinely open up to one another.

“If it is meant to be a connection, it will eventually work out without too much effort.” This saying came to my mind after reading the first three chapters of “Norwegian Wood”. After his dear friend Kizuki died and Toru moved into his dormitory, he says that “There was only one thing for me to do when I started my new life in the dorm: stop taking everything so seriously; establish a proper distance between myself and everything else.” I think it is because he ignored the social pressure to connect with others that he could develop a tie with Naoko. He started off from walking behind her and gazing at her brunette, until she stood naturally by his side, entwined her arm with his in the fall, and later put her hand inside his coat pocket. He waited, and she came, though it took some time. It is because he kept his composure and was cautious that the two were able to naturally connect without falling into the deep, dark, unnoticeable “field well.”