The paramount value at the hostel, Reiko explains, is honesty, and asks Toru to agree to be vulnerable and open with Naoko heal. She explains that her pupil was a pathological liar who seduced Reiko by pretending to be sick, wheedling Reiko into the bedroom, and performing sexual acts upon her. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. As thirty-seven-year-old Toru Watanabe lands at the airport in Hamburg, Germany, the plane he’s on begins playing an instrumental cover of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.” The song hits Toru hard, and he finds himself flung back into memories of his youth. Upon arriving, Toru meets with a woman whom he believes is Naoko’s doctor—but soon, “Doctor” Reiko Ishida reveals that she’s Naoko’s roommate. One day in June, Midori approaches Toru after class and tells him she’s ready to talk. At the end of the afternoon, Midori hands Toru a letter. After a pause, Midori asks Toru where he is. NORWEGIAN WOOD. Analyisis of “Yesterday” and ” Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles The Beatles are a well know music group that has been around since July 6, 1957 … In the middle of the night, Naoko comes to Toru’s bedside, unbuttons her nightgown, and reveals her naked body to him. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. He heads to the nearest train station and buys a ticket back to Tokyo. In September, classes begin again. That night, the two of them hold their own ceremonial funeral for Naoko, playing her favorite songs, including several renditions of The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” late into the night. Months go by—Toru hears from neither Naoko or Midori and spends most of his time alone. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the 1965 album Rubber Soul. Not only is the song unique in the context of the album, but it is an example of one of The Beatles’ more experimental tracks. At that point Reiko’s mind snapped again and she retreated to the Ami Hostel, where she’s been since. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. Murakami explores concepts of sexuality through the relationships Toru has with Naoko, Midori, and Reiko, as … While credited to Lennon/McCartney, it was primarily written by John Lennon, though Paul McCartney contributed to the middle eight section. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood is one of the most popular books of Murakami and is set in the Japan of the 1960s during the period of student revolution. In spite of his friendship with Naoko, Toru feels aimless in other aspects of his life—his only other friend, Nagasawa, is a hyper-motivated student with hopes of joining the Foreign Ministry, a fact which makes Toru’s ambivalence seem even more profound. Titles in Translation. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Told from the perspective of Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college freshman, the novel details Toru’s relationships with two beautiful, electric, and unusual women, Naoko and Midori. One afternoon, after Midori cooks lunch for Toru, the two share a kiss on her rooftop. A few days later, the two reconnect and spend the afternoon eating lunch, shopping, and catching up. That night, Toru and Reiko go for another walk and Reiko finishes her story. After getting caught in Norwegian Wood, I decided to analyse it by following previous habits and this post shows all of the information gathered throughout the whole process. Toru tells Midori that he likes her but is involved in a complicated romantic situation. She spent time in and out of mental hospitals, eventually recovering enough to begin teaching. When the perturbed Toru tries to leave, she breaks down in tears. By Haruki Murakami. Reiko stops for coffee at a small shop, urging Toru and Naoko to spend some time alone. The paper was written as an analysis of the Norwegian Wood book. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our. On the surface it is the 36 yr old Toru Watanabe remembering his student days and being in love with Naoko, the girlfriend of Kizuki, his best friend. Midori tells Toru that her father was probably asking Toru to take care of Midori and asks him if he’s going to. She’s called a “Music Doctor” because of her skills at piano and guitar, and further explains that at the Ami Hostel, the lines between doctors and patients are blurred—all patients have the responsibility of caring for one another. Toru and Reiko go for a walk, leaving Naoko alone to process her emotions. She includes Naoko’s new address, and Toru writes to her there, though he doesn’t hear back. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Norwegian Wood by Murakami. The novel is a nostalgic story of loss and burgeoning sexuality. Many readers and critics have observed that Norwegian Wood is Murakami’s most autobiographical book. Though Midori is a bit flaky and misses the meeting she arranges to return Toru’s notes, Toru finds himself interested in her. Murakami describes a Japanese youth beset by doubts, embedded in the Spleen and surrounding by dreams. Toru doesn’t hear from Naoko for weeks. Toru is surprised to realize Naoko was a virgin. After the little ceremony, Toru and Reiko have sex, and the experience is joyful and ecstatic. Music is what allows many to relax and clear their minds but Haruki Muarakami uses it in his writing to add another layer of complexity. Of course, it seems to be no coincidence that the title of the song is ‘Norwegian Wood’. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. Struggling with distance learning? In July, Toru at last receives a letter from Naoko explaining that she’s moving to a sanatorium in the hills of Kyoto. On Naoko’s 20th birthday, Toru goes to her apartment to celebrate with her. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Reiko suggests they go back and check on Naoko, promising to finish her story the next day. Toru and Naoko spend the afternoon walking and talking, but their conversation never drifts to the topic of Kizuki. As thirty-seven-year-old Toru Watanabe lands at the airport in Hamburg, Germany, the plane he’s on begins playing an instrumental cover of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.” The song hits Toru hard, and he finds himself flung back into memories of his youth. In 1968, Toru is a freshman at Waseda University in Tokyo. In April, a letter from Reiko arrives explaining that Naoko is in a fragile state and may be moving to a specialized facility. Early in the semester Toru meets a vibrant girl from his History of Drama class, Midori, when she asks to borrow his notes. She Once Had Me: The Significance of the Women in Norwegian Wood Midori says that she has a boyfriend, anyway, and the two agree to just be friends. Soon, Toru hears from Reiko—she is planning on leaving the Ami Hostel, and wants to know if she can visit Toru on her way north toward a new life. In the morning, she appears—or pretends—to have no recollection of this. Toru agrees, and happily meets Reiko at the station the following day. One afternoon, Toru runs into Naoko, an acquaintance from his hometown of Kobe. Without hesitation, Toru packs a bag and begins the journey to the hostel. In the woods, Naoko brings Toru to climax using her hands before revealing that her sister, too, committed suicide as a teenager—Naoko found the body. She tells Toru that she’s ready to see him. He reads it on the train—the letter, written while the two were sitting on a park bench that very afternoon, expresses Midori’s frustration with Toru’s aloofness and his failure to genuinely open up to her. Through Watanabe's reminiscences, readers see him develop relationships with two very different women—the beautiful yet emotionally troubled Naoko, and the outgoing, lively Midori. Norwegian Wood is a song about John Lennon’s infidelity, John Lennon wrote that song because he wanted to tell his first wife, Cynthia indirectly that he had affair with other women. Struggling with distance learning? After a chance encounter with a fisherman who has also lost a loved one, Toru realizes he needs to pull himself out of his grief. The protagonist and narrator, Watanabe, is remembering his past as a university student, while in … The two begin spending time together—even as Toru continues writing to Naoko. While the title of the Beatles song “Norwegian Wood” cheekily refers to a kind of pinewood paneling commonly used in 1960s décor, the title of Murakami’s novel in the original Japanese uses the Japanese word for “forest”—mori— rather than the word for hard wood or wood paneling. Naoko is in a strange mood. Our, A concise biography of Haruki Murakami plus historical and literary context for, In-depth summary and analysis of every chapter of, Explanations, analysis, and visualizations of. 296 pp. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Norwegian Wood Summary. Norwegian Wood (ノルウェイの森, Noruwei no Mori) is a 1987 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. Here are my thoughts on NORWEGIAN WOOD! When Midori returns and Toru asks her about the message, Midori recalls running away from home as a child and departing form the Ueno Station before her father brought her home. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. It is told from the first-person perspective of Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college student living in Tokyo. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Toru, impressed by Midori’s bedside manner but sensing how worn out she must be, offers to spend the afternoon looking after her father. Norwegian Wood - Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis Haruki Murakami This Study Guide consists of approximately 39 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Norwegian Wood. Back at the room, Naoko apologizes for her outburst, and the three of them get ready and go to bed. Born in Kyoto Prefecture to parents who both taught Japanese literature, Haruki Murakami grew up in several cities on Japanese main island of Honshū. Midori warns Toru that if he doesn’t recognize that he has a chance with a “real, live girl” and choose to be with her, he’ll lose them both. He and Naoko engage in sexual activities in the little alone time they manage to steal, and Toru asks Naoko to move in with him when he gets an apartment of his own in the spring. Try to write your own paper basing on your knowledge background and research skills. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood. Get Your Custom Essay on Norwegian Wood Analysis Just from $13,9/Page. Over the next several weeks, Toru wanders from village to village, aimless and penniless, dogged each night by horrible visions of Naoko telling him that death isn’t so bad and inviting him to join her. Norwegian Wood It is also Murakami’s most straightforward work. I … Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “Norwegian Wood” by Haruki Murakami. She explains life at the sanitorium, Ami Hostel, and describes the beautiful wooded landscape, the emphasis on physical work in the property’s lush gardens and animal sanctuaries, and the ensconced atmosphere. Norwegian Wood Analysis Rory Say “Norwegian Wood” first appeared on The Beatles’ sixth full length album, Rubber Soul, which was released December 3rd, 1965. As he looks around at the “shapes of people” walking by all around him, he experiences a profound moment of confusion and calls Midori’s name, shouting for her from a “place that [is] no place.”, Instant downloads of all 1379 LitChart PDFs Naoko expresses concern about being able to emotionally or physically participate in a relationship, but Toru promises to wait as long as it takes. New York: Vintage International. Norwegian Wood's enduring popularity with adolescent and 20-something readers rests on the simple insights into death, loss and griefs it conveys, … In "Norwegian Wood," Murakami depicts life and death as being on a continuum. Though they grow close, they still never discuss Kizuki. get custom paper. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. While we can never know exactly to what degree a work of fiction reflects the lived experience of its author, what qualities of the novel feel autobiographical rather than purely fictional? Toru laughs off her advances, but when she asks him to get together again on Sunday, he accepts her invitation. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Norwegian Wood is full of heavy material. Don’t try to present the essay as your own to your instructor not to be accused of cheating. Norwegian Wood is the first book by Haruki Murakami that I’ve read, and I think I’m in love, which, if we take the message of the book itself, is not necessarily a good thing.. Toru returns to Tokyo and rents a new apartment in a suburb shortly after the new year. She tells him of her plan to teach music at a school in Asahikawa, a village in the far north of Japan. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." In August, Toru receives word that Naoko is dead—a letter from Reiko explains that after during a visit to the Ami Hostel to collect some of her things, Naoko slipped off into the woods and hung herself. -Graham S. “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Norwegian Wood is a nostalgic novel imbued by death, suicide and sexuality. She invites him to lunch at a department store, and, after eating, tells him she’s in love with him. Teachers and parents! The next morning Toru returns to Tokyo, feeling a little sad himself about returning to the “outside world.”. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. I'm reading ALL of the Haruki Murakami novels - so I'll be doing a book review for each. Paper, $13. / She showed me her room / "Isn't it good, Norwegian wood?" Explain how the author uses the characters to develop this concept throughout the novel. She married one of her students, a man her own age, and they settled down happily—but when Reiko took on a young schoolgirl as her new pupil, her life took a turn for the worse. He was inspired from Bob Dylan to write Norwegian Wood. Teachers and parents! In May, Reiko writes Toru to tell him that Naoko, who has been hearing voices, has been transferred to another facility. A few days later, Toru hears from Midori, too—she tells him she’s ready to talk. He completed his first novel. Instant downloads of all 1379 LitChart PDFs Reiko says she’s afraid to reenter the world, but Toru tells her he believes in her. While Midori is out, Toru cares for Mr. Kobayashi, who cryptically mentions something about Midori and a ticket to the Ueno Station. The next day Toru runs into Midori, who invites him out. Reiko and Naoko bring Toru on a walk through the mountains. Norwegian Wood essays are academic essays for citation. In 1968, Toru … The school is in the throes of a student revolution, but Toru avoids politics as he settles into his dorm. Naoko eventually admits that she’s afraid she’s unable to truly love anyone and breaks down in tears. On the walk to the train station, Toru asks Midori where they’re headed, and she reveals that they’re on their way to visit her father in the hospital, where he’s dying of a brain tumor. Discuss the meaning of Murakami's use of letters throughout the novel. (including. Toru admits he loves Midori, too, but still can’t “make a move” toward being with her because of his situation with Naoko. That night, Reiko plays guitar while Naoko and Toru talk about what happened between them.