Monday’s Lesson: Outlining Your Essay
Greetings IB Juniors:
You have recently completed your supervised writing of your Murakami essay. Congratulations! Remember to develop your essay from your supervised writing; the IB organization wants to deter plagiarism and promote academic honesty. DO NOT, under any circumstance, copy any sentences, paragraphs, or entire essays from any online essays. IF YOU do this, you are cheating and you will earn a failing mark for the assignment and be referred to the principal and IB coordinator. I only mention this, not for the majority of you, but for the minority. Sadly, there have been two recent examples of such plagiarism. Overall, however, I am very pleased with your creativity and your perseverance. Great ideas!
Outlining Your Essay:
In the past, I have asked students to outline with topics and supporting examples. For this essay, however, I would like you to instead use questions as the guiding ideas for your essay. For example, let’s say my essay topic is “darkness in Murakami’s novel, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle.” I might outline my essay with the following questions:
- What role does ‘darkness’ play in Toru’s search for the truth?
- How does Murakami use the image of darkness to create tension and ambiguity?
- How does the ‘darkness’ associated with the woman in Room 208 relate to not only Toru’s search but also his state-of-mind?
- What role does ‘darkness’ play in Kumiko’s life?
- Why does Murakami include this motif? How might it be related to the novel’s themes?
You can see that from these questions, I will generate several answers, and these answers will become my topic sentences for the development of my paragraphs and my essay. Think of your topic sentences as mini-thesis statements (Topic, opinion, and support). If you approach the outline and development of your essay this way, I am certain that you will have a well-developed and well-organized essay, which is ONE of the CRITERIA you will need to address.
- Respond to this post with 4 or more questions about your essay topic. They need to be good questions, related to literary concepts/aspects of the novel as a genre. Two of the questions should mention Murakami by name. Remember, this is an essay about the author’s choices, namely Murakami’s choices.
- Click on the “comments” at the bottom of this post and submit your questions. We can comment on each other’s questions and provide suggestions or feedback as necessary.
- Due Monday, March 7
- After submitting these questions, please begin developing your essay, and use these questions to organize and develop your essay!
Kind Regards,
Mr. Coey
1.) Does Murakami include the character of Kumiko to start Toru’s discovery of himself?
2.) Why does Murakami bring Nobaru Wataya and his incest ways into the novel? What went through the authors mind while adding this character?
3.) Were Toru and kumiko ever in love or were they just habits of each other?
4.) What if Kumiko never cheated.. would they of lived like robots in one house or would they of communicated and became a better couple?
1. What roles do each of the women play in the novel?
2. Why do the women play a bigger role in the novel than the men do?
3.How do the women affect the role of Toru?
4.Why did Murakami include multiple women in the novel?
1)Does Murakami use the motif of flow to indicate a possible theme?
2)If so, What stages does the main character Toru undertake to understand the idea of flow?
3)What does flow symbolize for Toru, what does it change in him?
Love your questions!!
How does Murakami develop the motif of physical and metaphysical through out the novel?
Is Toru the only character who has been effected physically and metaphysically?
Toru is trying to help himself understand the metaphysical world , how would the novel be different if he was trying to understand the spiritual world?
How does Murakami’s writing impact Toru’s character by entering the enigmatic mind controlling characters in his life? can they help him find out who he is?
How did Murakami first introduce the cat?
What does the cat symbolize?
Why did Murakami choose the cat as a symbol?
Why does Murakami make the cat disappear and come back?
Kelsey,
Do more research on the importance of cats in Japanese culture? Do you believe that Murakami is drawing from his cultural context?
Coey
1) How is Toru affected by Creta’s “special abilities”?
2) What is Creta Kano’s purpose in Toru’s life?
3) To what extent is Creta in control of the events she’s involved in with Toru?
4) Why did Murakami chose Creta to be an important feminine role in Toru’s life?
great questions!
1. Who is the “lost cat?”
2. Why does Murakami include sexual images in Toru’s dreams?
3. Does the “lost cat” represent Toru and Kumiko’s “lost” marriage?
4. What does Toru represent?
Do these questions relate to your essay topic? If so, how?
1. If Murakami didn’t have Kumiko the way she is in the novel, would the book still somewhat be like a detective investigation still ?
2. Does kumiko’s figure have a meaning to Murakami’s life?
3. Does Murakami write Kumiko as a protagonist or antagonist?
4. Does Murakami have toru go into the well to find answers about kumiko?
great questions.
2. What impact does Kumiko have on the novel’s themes?
1) How does the book title represent ” freedom” even Toru said in this book every girl leave him in darkness include Kumiko?
2) What was the purpose of kumiko to write a letter to Toru even she already leave him?
3) why Murakami represent Toru as a powerless man in his book?
4) what thing make Japanese to belief on spiritual world more then physical world?
Iram,
These are great questions. Be sure to find and discuss the common idea linking these questions. Is it Japanese spirituality?
Coey
1. Can the different symbols used through out the book be connected?
2. Is Toru the same person after the encounter with the guitar man?
3. How does the wind-up bird connect to Toru?
4. Can the flow be somehow connected to the cat?
So, the essay topic is symbolism? cool questions, J!
1. How did Murakami come up with and tie the psychological criticism of the opposite of eros, thanatos which are death instincts with a person’s personality ?
2. Does Murakami include all these women as a clue in the novel to have Toru think about his unconscious and consciousness side of his?
3. Does Murakami try to connect Creta Kano and Kumiko together somehow, like a reflection of one another ?
4. Does Murakami include a psychological criticism of the freudian psychoanalysis to be able to look and understand the concept of what the character may be feeling?
1. Toru isolate himself from society and social interactions and keep to himself. What kind of message do you think Murakami is sending to us, especially in stressful and demanding society today?
2. In what ways does Toru represent our inner child?
3. Toru is a living tragic hero. What effects do you think it puts on us, the readers?
4. People comes and go. What significant does the absent of a former frequent character have with the “flow”?
1: How does Toru illustrated the image of Repressions, Eros and Thanatos?
2: What are the reasons for his repressions?
3: What are his true feelings and emotions behind his repressions?
4: How does his repressions affect his life/marriage?
SORRY! MR. COEY, THIS IS THE OFFICIAL QUESTIONS!!!!
1: How does Murakami represents the image of Repressions, Eros and Thanatos through Toru?
2: What are the reasons for Toru’s repressions?
3: What are Toru’s true feelings and emotions behind his repressions?
4: How does Toru’s repressive actions affect his life/marriage?
Great!
And, how do Toru’s repressions affect his actions and the novel’s climax?
Toru’s actions are affected by his repressions in many ways. It made Toru into a new person because of all his hidden emotions and unspoken thoughts. For instance, he knows how to embrace things after Kumiko left, it was as something died in him.
1) What is the genre that Murakami is showing to us through this book?
2) What is the significant between the question being created more frequency compare to getting the question answered?
3) Why is Toru’s conscious mind so different compare to his unconscious mind?
4) What is with the time difference between the conscious and unconscious mind?
How does story-telling of Creta Kano’s life symbolizes Kumiko’s life?
Why does Murakami include Creta Kano as a minor character?
What was Murakami hoping to convey to the audience by including Creta Kano?
Is Creta Kano the spiritual person of Kumiko?
excellent!
1. Why does Murakami chose so many women for this novel?
2. What does the women symbolize?
3. What are the roles for the women in Toru’s life?
4. How would the novel be without women?
great!!
1: What does the woman on telephone represent to Toru?
2: What significant help of May has affect towards Toru?
3: How does the Guitar man affect Torus’ quest of finding Kumiko?
4: Does Creta show any significant affect on Toru finding Kumiko?
Murakami?
Guiding Questions
1- Why does Murakami chose to emphasize the struggle of consciousness and sub consciousness between Toru’s minds? Why specifically him?
2- Does the protagonist Toru Okada is an “Dark Angel”?
3- Why does Toru is having so much trouble in accepting the reality? Why his sub conscious mind is not transforming into consciousness?
4- In what ways Haruki Murakami used history to distinguish between bifurcation and transformation?
interesting, what is your topic? Do these questions relate to your topic?
My topic is bifurcation and transformation.
1. What can the well be used to symbolize?
2. What is the connection between the well and water?
3. What’s Toru’s obsession with the well?
4. How does Murakami use the well in the novel to create the tension he does in book three?
well-done! (pun)
1) why does Toru stalk Guitar man all the way to the vacant house?
2)In what way does guitar man help Toru regain his life back?
3)Is guitar man considered Toru’s sub conscience?
4)how does Murakami create guitar man’s image
in the scene with Toru and guitar man fighting?
what is the result of Toru’s interactions with guitar man?
1. Why did Murakami include the symbolism of the well?
2. Does the well have a power to change people that goes in it?
3. What’s the relationship between the alley, the vacate house,and the well?
4. Why does Murkami put the well as part of the vacate house instead of a regular house?
very good!
1. What is the purpose of the well in Toru’s life?
2. How does the well act as a subconscious part of Toru’s mind?
3. What does the well represent to Toru?
4. How does Toru use the well for his dreams?
interesting!
Guiding Questions:-
1:- Does Murakami used “Dark Shadows” as symbols of “Bifurcation” in Toru’s life? If yes then to what extent?
2:- What’s the purpose of the well in Hanging House (vacant house) in The Novel?
3:- In what ways the Protagonist “Toru” bifurcate antagonists along with himself?
4:- In what ways “Haruki Murakami” provoke reader’s interpretation in “Dark Angel Archetype”?
yes!
1) Does Toru Have a happy ending?
2) How does toru life reflects the past of the Japanese?
3) Why does The Cat symbolize Toru life?
4) does Toru self Harm himself by harming other?
Lang,
Think about how you can revise these questions to include Murakami’s choices too.
Coey
Lang,
I thought you were writing about historical context?
How does Murakami introduce us to the wind-up bird?
When does Murakami usually mention the wind-up bird?
What significance does Murakami give the wind-up bird?
How does Murakami create tension with the wind-up bird?
With what character does Murakami associate the wind-up bird the most?How?
How is the wind up bird related to novel’s climax and resolution? (think computers)
Why did murakami use the cat as one of the main symbols in the novel?
why did murakami use a well as a symbol?
Did murakami include women as a type of symbol in the novel?
Does murakami portray may as an antagonist or a protagonist?
4. In what ways does Murakami portray women as antagonists?
1)can creta kano be used as a symbol of sexual desire?
2) why does murakami add in such a character such as creta in torus life?
3) did murakami ever have someone like creta kano in his life?
4) what inspired murakami to make a character like creta kano?
Can you make 3 and 4 about Murakami’s choices as a writer, rather than about his life.
1. How does Murakami develop Creta’s character?
1. What role does the “Dreams” play throughout the novel?
2. How does Murakami use the dreams to create suspense and predictions in the characters situations?
3. Why does Murakami decides to use dreams so often for Toru instead of just reality events?
4. Does the dreams really affect the way Toru feels?
1.Why did Murakami include the character “The women in room 208”?
2.What was Toru reaction or feeling towards this women ?
3.What is the “Shadow”? What does it represent ?
4.Why does the faceless man appear when Toru dream of Women in room 208 ?
1: Why does Murakami make the story as Toru’s Journey to save Kumiko?
2: Does all the characters included in the story each have a role on Toru’s Journey?
3: How does Murakami decide to include each characters as fit for Toru’s Journey?
4: Would Mr.Honda or Lata Kano be the Supernatural aid for Toru’s Journey?
1) Does Toru’s subconscious represent the image of water?
2) What would a lack of water convey?
3) Did Murakami write with the psychological lens?
4) What does Murakami use to make readers want to keep reading?
Jade,
3. How might a psychological interpretation develop an understanding of Murakami’s symbolism?
Coey
1. How come Murakami creates these incidents involving women after Toru quit his job was that what stopped the “flow”?
2. Can the well be a symbol of Toru’s sanctuary?
3. How does Murakami use the well to resemble the “yin” and water to resemble the “yang” for Toru?
4. What is the significance of water to Murakami?
1. Why does Murakami have Toru fight the guitar man when he could have just ran away?
2. How is the Guitar man symbolic to Toru’s life?
3. Why does Murakami make Turo follow the Guitar man because of Kumiko?
4. Does Toru actually find peace after beating the Guitar man?
4. What are the results of beating the guitar man? (more open ended) You need to write this essay so I have the answers! Tell me, now!!!
1. What does psychological “sex” do for Toru?
2. How does Creta Kano heal Toru through “sexual tensions”?
3. Does she harm him?
4. What is Marukami’s intention when using the idea of sex upon Toru in his novel?
(Coey’s questions revised?)
1. How is Murakami able to create a sense of “psychological sex” within the novel?
1)What does “Kumiko” represent to Toru? What does Toru represent to Kumiko? Why do Kumiko want to end their bond so easily, while Toru doesn’t?
2)How does Murakami shape Kumiko as the “anti-heroine” or “femme fatale”?
3)Why did Murakami make Kumiko so attached to their cat? Is there a comparison between the two? Does the cat represent “something” else rather than their marriage and luck or just an ordinary cat?
4)Kumkio, if she was real and not a character, how what will she be describes as (such as personality)?
The first three questions I understand. What is#4?
1. Why does Murakami always leave the audience with a mystery or clue to “something” vague?
2. Is vagueness and ambiguity the same as “something”?
3. Why does Murakami choose “something” as a motif?
4. What does Murakami intend to create with ambiguity?
This is going to be a great essay.
How does Murakami develop the character May in order to influence Toru’s struggles?
What does the May Kasahara control over Toru that contributes to the novel’s development?
How does Murakami draws upon May as an antagonist to prevent Toru from reaching the truth?
Why does Murakami include May as a character, what role does she have to assert in the novel?
Yes, sir! great!
1: What’s the purpose of the wind-up bird being in Toru’s life?
2: How does the wind-up bird save Toru in a crisis?
3: For what reasons does Murakami create a symbolic significance of the wind-up bird?
4: How does Murakami create a tension between characters using the wind-up bird?
cool! These are fantastic questions!