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Global Experience - Coggle Diagram
Global Experience
Kafka on The Shore 
The Mind and Body
Many out-of-body experiences occur in this book, where the individual seems to be unable to control their body, but fully aware of their surroundings.
At the beginning of the novel, an incident had occured where a school went on a tripi to a hill to pick mushrooms, and all of the children were in a state where they were unconscious, but their eyes were still looking around as if they were still aware of their surroundings.
After a while, the children began to wake up, however, Nakata, one of the children from the trip, remained in this unconcious state for a longer period of time
At the beginning of the novel, Kafka is seen running away from home to get away from his father. While running away, he begins to experience physical manifestations of his fears, such as his father.
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Fate
Kafka, throughout the book, is driven by the belief that he is fated to kill his father and marry his mother and sister.
This alligns with a famous myth of Oedipus, where he does exactly that: kills his father and marries his mother
Self-Sufficiency
The characters in this novel struggle to overcome personal challenges to become self-reliant. As they attempt ro rationalize death and loss, they start to find themselves extremely lonely.
When Oshima brings Kafka to a remote cabin, Kafka begins to experience true isolation. He overcomes some of his greatest fears, and makes peace with the fact that his mother and sister are gone
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
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Righteous Anger
Janina owned two dogs, both of which were so close to her that she considered them to be family. However, they ended up being killed by some of the people in her hometown
After learning that the cause of her dog's death was because of the Commandant, the President, Innerd, and Father Rustle, she seeks revenge on them and murders them
DIfferent Forms of Power
The President
The President represents political power, and as a President of an association he is displayed as vain and narcissistic person
Innerd
Innerd represents the power that comes with wealth. his power is corrupt because he operates an illegal brothel and has an illicit affair
The Commandant
The Commandant represents the power of the police and the justice system. He is corrupt in that he breaks many of the laws he is required to enforce (ex. driving drunk, visiting illegal brothels)
Father Rustle
Father Rustle represents religious power as he is a pastor. He is portrayed as a hypocrite who uses his religious authority to cover his actions.
Swing Time
Blackmail
Near the beginning of the book, at a party, the narrator (who is unnamed) dances provocatively with her friend, Tracey, which Tracey records and keeps. Later in the novel, Tracey posts the recording on the internet
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Race and Identity
The significance of different races can be seen throughout the novel. Some characters, such as Aimee, are completely unaware of the affects of race while others, such as Tracey, the effects are obvious
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The Vegetarian
Control over Others
Yeong-Hye's husband, brother-in-law, and father are constantly trying to take control of her in various ways. Yeong-Hye's husband and father continuously try to make her change her ways and start eating meat again despite not knowing or even asking why she had become vegetarian. Yeong-Hye's brother-in-law longs to have sex with her due to her Mongolian mark and goes to great lengths trying to achieve his goal.
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Humanity and Vegetation
Throughout the book, we can see Yeong-Hye not only desiring to not eat meat but also her longing to become a plant
In the first section of the novel, Yeong-hye is revealed to have a fear for violence and worrying that she will harm living beings in her dreams
Control Over Ones Body
Yeong-hye, after experiencing disturbing dreams about meat and slaughterhouses, decides to become vegetarian. Despite constant torment and abuse from other family members, she sticks to her ways, showing that her body is a form of resistance from those around her, and that she is in control
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Go, Went, Gone
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Compassion
After Richard retired from his job, he began to become lonely and bored. In order to find a way to fill his time, he decides to interview refugees. However, as he gets to know them better, he realizes that he is in need for human connection
Hearing about the hardships they have faced, instead of just wanting to fill time in his day, he feels compassion and empathy for them. Recognizing their shared humanity helps him both emphathize with the refugees and live a more worthwile life