Isolation and self alienation are prime themes in Murakami’s A Wild Sheep Chase. Multiple characters chose a life of self isolation. The main character isolates himself to avoid true emotional connections to the outside world through an entirely self centered existence. This theme of isolation is seen in the Sheep Professor as well, whose obsession with sheep lead him to be cut off from the world. Thee themes all seem to center around some idea of identity as relating to the characters themselves and the people around them.
The plot of A Wild Sheep Chase is unique in multiple ways, including it’s ability to be interpreted in so many different ways. The plot takes many unexpected turns, but still follows a fairly standard plot structure. It begins with life as normal, then devolves into ambiguous, odd occurrences and plot points.
Even though the idea of a hero on a quest to retrieve some valuable item has been seen time and time again, Murakami manages to undermine every heroic aspect of his story. Having a sheep be the object of pursuit rather than some valuable artifact or treasure is an example of this. Murakami undermines our idea of a hero as well by making the protagonist passive as well, rather than having him take initiative.
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