Author :
Abstract
Bu çalışmanın amacı, Postkolonyalizm bağlamında Haruki Murakami’nin Sahilde Kafka romanında kullanılan Johnnie Walker ve Albay Sanders ikonlarını araştırmak ve Batı’nın kültürel emperyalizminin etkisini ortaya koymaktır. Buna ek olarak, bu çalışmada Murakami’nin batı unsurlarını tasviri ve kedileri Japonya’da sesi olmayan etnik azınlıkların metaforları olarak betimlenmesi incelenmeye çalışılmaktadır. Batı'nın egemenlik ve hegemonyasını önlemek için, Japonya, bir süre sonra emperyalist bir güç haline gelerek ülkenin öz sömürgeciliğine neden olan Batı modernliğini benimsemeye ve diğer Doğu ülkelerine karşı hegemonik Batı gibi davranmaya zorlandı. Haruki Murakami, Oryantalist gelenekte iddia edildiği gibi nesnel olarak Öteki’yi yanlış anlatan kültürel klişeleri altüst etmektedir. Buna ek olarak, kendine özgü tarzı, kendi çift kültür bilinci ve kendi “melezliği” nden kaynaklanıyor olabilir. Dahası eserleri Japonya'daki Amerikanlaştırılmış metaların bolluğunu vurgulayarak çağdaş Japon kültürünü ortaya koymaktadır. Romandaki Johnnie Walker ve Albay Sanders karakterleri savaş sonrası dönemdeki modernist ve kapitalist zihniyeti simgelemektedir. Johnnie Walker'ın uygar ve seçkin imajı, batı kavramlarından olan modernizm ve medeniyetin nasıl yıkıcı olabileceğini göstermek için yapısökümüne uğratılmıştır. Albay Sanders'ın saygın ve yaşlı imajı, insanı bir emtia haline getiren telekızları satmasıyla da tersine çevrilmektedir. Kedilerin Johnnie Walker karakteri tarafından katledilmesi, acılarını ifade etmek için dile sahip olmayan bastırılmış özneleri veya etnik azınlıkları hatırlatmaktadır. Romanda, Japonya’nın Amerikan popüler kültürüne maruz kalması ortaya koyulurken Batı’nın modern ve uygar sembolleri ihlal edilmektedir.
Keywords
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore the icons Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders used in Haruki Murakami’s novel Kafka on the Shore in the context of postcolonialism and reveal the influence of the cultural imperialism of the West. In addition, in this study it is attempted to explore Murakami’s portrayal of the western elements and his depiction of cats as metaphors of voiceless ethnic minorities in Japan. To prevent the domination and hegemony of the West, Japan has been forced to adopt Western modernity causing self-colonialism of the country and act like hegemonic West towards the other Eastern countries becoming an imperialist power after a while. Haruki Murakami subverts the cultural stereotypes that misrepresent, the Other objectively, as argued in Orientalist tradition. In addition, his unique style might be resulted from his double consciousness of culture and his own “hybridity” while his writing reveals contemporary Japanese culture. Moreover his writing reveals contemporary Japanese culture, emphasizing the abundance of Americanized commodities in Japan. Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders characters in the novel symbolize the modernist and capitalist mindset in the Post war period. The civilized and elite image of Johnnie Walker is deconstructed to illustrate how the western concepts of modernism and civilization could be destructive. The respected elderly image of Colonel Sanders is also reversed by his selling call-girls which makes human a comodity. Slaughter of the cats by the character Johnnie Walker reminds the subaltern subjects or ethnic minorities who do not possess language to express their pain. In the novel, the modern and civilized symbols of the West are violated while revealing Japan’s exposition to American popular culture.
Keywords
- Brook, S. (2008). Johnnie Walker Srolls off with three IPA awards, The Guardian. Accessed: Dec. 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/nov/04/advertising-marketingandpr1
- Hedgepeth, M. (2001). Haruki Murakami and the New Japan. MI: University of Michigan Press.
- Hsiung, T. A. (2008). Text of Negotiation: National Identity in Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. Colloquium on Diaspora and Asian Fiction Japan: The FirstWorld or the ThirdWorld, p. 1-7.
- Jeng, L. F. (2008). Amnesia in Murakami Haruki’s Kafka on the Shore, Colloquium on Diaspora and Asian Fiction Japan: The First World or the Third World.
- Karatani, K.(1998) Origins of Modern Japanese Literature. London: Duke University Press.
- Kayıntu, A. (2018). A Postcolonial Reading of Zadie Smith’s The Embassy Cambodia – Zadie Smith’in Kamboçya Büyükelçiliği Romanının Pastkolonyal Okuması, Jass Studies-The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, no: 70, p. 183-200.
- Kiossev, A.(2011). The Self Colonizing Metaphor. Atlas of Transformation. Accessed: Dec.2018. http://monumenttotransformation.org/atlas-of-transformation/html/s/self-colonization/the-selfcolonizing-metaphor-alexander-kiossev.html
- Krishnaswamy, R. (2002). The Criticism of Culture and the Culture of Criticism: At the Intersection of Postcolonialism and Globalization Theory. Diacritics, 32,2, p. 106-126.
- Lee E. (2010). Transforming Japan—Banana Yoshimoto‟s Amrita, M.A thesis, Texas Tech University.
- Murakami, F.(2005). Postmodern, Feminist and Postcolonial Currents in Contemporary Japanese Culture. Tokyo: Routledge.
- Murakami, H.(2005). Kafka on the Shore. New York: Vintage Books.
- Nihei, C. (2009). Thinking outside the Chinese Box: David Mitchell and Murakami Haruki’s subversion of stereotypes about Japan, New Voices, vol. 3, p. 86-103.
- Nishihara, D.(2005). Said, Orientalism, and Japan. Journal of Comparative Poetics, No. 25, Edward Said and Critical Decolonization, p. 241-253.
- Said, E. W. (1978). Orientalism. London: Routledge.
- Suter, R, (2008). The Japanization of Modernity, Murakami Haruki between Japan and the United States. Cambridge: Harvard UP.
- Selden R., Widdowson P. and Brooker P. (2005). A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory, 5th Ed., UK: Pearson Education.
- Takagi, C.(2009). From Postmodern to Post Bildungsroman from the Ashes: An Alternative Reading of Murakami Haruki and Postwar Japanese Culture, Ph.D thesis, the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
- Ulucan, Ö. and Kayıntu, A.(2018). Memory of Homeland and Transcultural Construction of Identity in Chris Cleave’s Little Bee. Jass Studies-The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, no. 66, p. 171-181.
