The Wind Up Bird Chronicle And Dante Alighieri s Inferno

As literature continues to evolve throughout the ages, human experience remains a purpose that novelists cease to abandon regardless of the century. Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Dante Alighieri’s Inferno each disclose a meticulous narrative that elaborates on such human experiences through the recurring theme of understanding and accepting the idea of suffering. While Alighieri’s Inferno takes on a physical journey through a Hell that he represents as a city, Murakami assumes a psychological and abstract mindset while writing the metaphysical journey in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Through the particular writing styles of each author, the extensive application of symbolism, and the unique setting of each protagonist, both authors contribute to the meaning of their books whether it be a psychological or physical approach. Though both pieces center on the commonality of suffering, Murakami and Alighieri each have their respective styles of writin g. Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle exudes his usual psychological approach to such matters: â€Å"Which is to say, I was able to separate from the physical self that was feeling the pain†¦ I was able to divide myself into a physical and nonphysical self†¦. When pain comes to me, I leave my physical self.† (Murakami 306). As a result of this particular style, the human experience is perceived as enigmatic and ambiguous in nature, varying from person to person: â€Å"We can invest enormous time and energy in serious