Divided Consciousness and the Surrealist Structure of the Unconscious in Haruki Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

Abstract

This study examines the role of surrealism in Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, focusing on how the novel represents the unconscious through its narrative structure.Drawing on the theories of André Breton and Sigmund Freud, the study employs qualitative textual analysis combined with psychoanalytic close reading.It argues that Murakami's surrealism functions not only as a thematic element but as a structural mechanism that organizes divided consciousness.Through analysis of the split self, the Town, memory, and ego dissolution, the paper shows how identity is fragmented, displaced, and reconfigured within the narrative.The findings show that surrealism in the novel does more than represent psychological states.It shapes the narrative itself, making unconscious processes visible.While existing scholarship frequently identifies Murakami's use of magical realism, this study addresses the critical gap regarding how surrealist 'psychic automatism' dictates the dualnarrative architecture itself.By examining how inner experience is externalized through symbolic structures, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of Murakami's narrative method and the continuing relevance of surrealist theory in contemporary fiction.