Convenience Store Woman: Keiko, the protagonist in Sayaka Murata's novel, Convenience Store Woman, experiences belonging through her job at a Japanese convenience store. She writes, "When I open the door, the brightly lit box awaits me—a dependable, normal world that keeps turning. I have faith in the world inside the light-filled box"(29). Not only does Keiko feel like she belongs at the convenance because the space feels "dependable" and "normal," but working at the convenience store also gives her a faith that transcends the physical space. Keiko doesn't simply "work to live," she "lives to work" because it provides her with intangible benefits that cannot necessarily be seen or measured.
Novel Cover