The City and Its Uncertain Walls

Haruki Murakami uses a lot of similes in The City and Its Uncertain Walls. Why is the simile an especially important or useful literary device for this novel? How do these similes impact the development of themes throughout the novel? Pay particularly close attention to those used to describe the protagonist’s feelings.

How does the passage of time—or the lack thereof—impact the protagonist’s decision making, both in reality and the walled-in town? How does it impact his sense of who he is?

The protagonist has two love interests in The City and Its Uncertain Walls, the coffee shop woman and his high school girlfriend. Both play instrumental roles in his understanding of love. Compare and contrast how they impact his life and his perception of romance.

The walled-in town and its wall are at times referenced as representing the mind and consciousness. There is a correlation, however, to its shifting nature and the shifting nature of the protagonist’s heart in Parts 2 and 3. How does the novel represent the relationship between the mind (or intellect) and the heart (or the emotions)?

The Intersection of Reality and Imagination is present everywhere in the novel. What are the different ways in which reality and imagination interact, and how do characters react to these moments differently?

In Part 3, Yellow Submarine Boy reveals that the protagonist’s shadow is living in the real world and believes that it is the protagonist. What consequences does this revelation have on the trustworthiness of the protagonist as a narrator?

The presence or absence of a shadow is often discussed in The City and Its Uncertain Walls. As a symbol, what does a shadow represent in the novel, and what differences are there between Mr. Koyasu not having a shadow in the material world and the protagonist not having one in the walled-in town?

In what ways does Heartbreak as a Source of Lasting Transformation determine the protagonist’s path in both the walled-in town and the mountainous town, particularly with the knowledge that one is the other’s shadow?