Stranger in a Strange Land: The struggle for cultural and personal identity in Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

In order to explicate Murakami's version of the official culture, I have analyzed the novel with the works of several different theorists. Primarily, I drew my own understanding of the official culture from Raymond Williams's examination of culture in Marxism and Literature. His terminology became helpful in writing about the operation of the System and the Town, though it did not define that operation precisely. Williams's work also introduced me to the theory behind the official culture's manipulation and exclusion of historical aspects in order to create their "official" version of history, from which the official culture draws its identity. For further analysis of the treatment of history, I turned to Friedrich Nietzsche's On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life. Though it examines the official culture's manipulation of history in a much more in-depth manner, it seems to have influenced Murakami's treatment of individual memories and cultural histories. For instance, the herd ofunicoms in the End of the World resembles Nietzsche's description of the ''unhistorical herd," or has the potential to resemble it. With these theories I was able to access the mechanisms of cultural control that Murakami depicts in the form of the System and the Town, and from there I was able to develop a model for how the narrator struggles to subvert that control. Both sides of that struggle are depicted and re-imagined many times throughout Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

Ludy Levine Scrapbook

Lewis "Ludy" Levine was born on November 30, 1898 and died on September 30, 1997. This scrapbook includes family memories, obituaries, a eulogy by Rabbi Krinsky, autograph notebooks and lists, a few letters, and many photographs.

Teddy Levine Scrapbook

Theodore Nathan Levine was born into the family of Sarah Ida and William Levine in 1894 and died on February 9, 1927. The scrapbook contains family memories as handed down, letters, photographs, holograph high school notebooks and a paper on Books and Libraries.

Betty Levine Kaplan Scrapbook

Betty Ruth Levine was born on April 30, 1903 to Sarah Ida and William Levine. She died November 8, 1995. The scrapbook includes family memories and photographs.

Ann Levine Wolff Scrapbook

Ann (Anna Eva) Levine was born on November 12, 1890 to William and Sarah Ida Levine, and died on April 3, 1890. This scrapbook contains family memories, photographs, and an exam book in holograph for a history class in 1936 at Colby College.

Bibby Levine Alfond Scrapbook

Dorothy "Bibby" Adair Levine was born to William and Sarah Ida Levine on April 16, 1916 and died December 31, 2005. The scrapbook contains family memories, eulogy, newspaper clippings, photographs, and announcement of the birth of her son Michael.

Evelyn Levine Gold Scrapbook

Evelyn Mae Levine was born April 11, 1907 and died on February 6, 1957. She was one of the children born to William and Sarah Levine. The scrapbook includes photographs, family memories, negative copies of grade sheets from Coburn Classical Instituteand Emerson College.

Frieda Levine Miller Scrapbook

Frieda Levine Miller was born to William and Sarah Ida Levine on March 26, 1896 and died August 24, 1990. The scrapbook contains family memories, death certificate, eulogies, newspaper clippings, family photographs, a high school graduation program, letters, and announcement of the marriage of her daughter Glenyce.

Big House Scrapbook

This scrapbook contains photographs and family memories of the big Levine family house on Ticonic Street, of the Levine family "camp," of going to temple, and of various members of the family.

Interview with Martha "Marty" Grigsby

In her December 10, 2012 interview with Robert Ryals, Martha Grigsby detailed her thoughts and memories of her time at Winthrop University. Grigsby shares the story of how she was able to attend Winthrop and the members of her community who assisted her in this process. Included are details of working in the dining hall on a scholarship, how relationships were formed amongst students, and how the students navigated Winthrop’s strict rules. Grigsby concludes her interview by stating how Winthrop helped her career as an educator and how she has stayed involved as an alumna. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

Interview with Louise "Lou" Trucks

In her December 2014 interview with Michelle Dubert-Bellrichard, Louise “Lou” Trucks detailed her thoughts and memories of her time at Winthrop. Trucks spoke of the time period from 1960-1964 as a music and music education double major. Trucks shared the benefits of being a music major, her involvement in campus traditions and organizations, and the rigor of her studies. Trucks concludes her interview detailing her life after Winthrop in Bloomington, IN and Rochester, NY. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

Interview with Hope Weatherly

In her May 22, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Hope Weatherly detailed her thoughts and memories at Winthrop from 1970-1976. In particular, Weatherly discusses the evolution of her studies at Winthrop, starting as a music major then graduating with a degree in education. Weatherly recalls her opinions on University presidents, professors, and food. Weatherly concludes her interview by discussing her career as a social worker and the challenges she faced in her profession. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

Interview with Virginia Koch

In her January 13, 2015 interview with Michelle Dubert-Bellrichard, Virginia Koch shared the memories of her Winthrop experience from 1970-1974. Koch explains why she attended Winthrop, her experiences with Rat Week, and why she struggled to find a job in her major. Included are the details of why she left South Carolina, and the numerous positions she held thereafter. Koch also shares her perspectives on major transitions at Winthrop and in the South. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

Interview with Jeuel Esmacher Bannister

In her January 20, 2015 interview with Michelle Dubert-Bellrichard, Jeuel Esmacher Bannister details her time at Winthrop from 1940-1944. Shared are the memories of professors in the music department, her opinions on the expectations of students, and going to school during WWII. Esmacher Bannister recalls stories of the Army Air Corps Cadets on campus, and the courses offered by the U.S. government that led Esmacher Bannister to a career as a Japanese and Russian cryptographer. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

Interview with Dennis Stamper

In his January 12, 2015 interview with Michelle Dubert-Bellrichard, Dennis Stamper shares his memories of being one of the first male, day students from 1969-1972. Stamper details his studies and professors from the Philosophy and Religion Department, as well as the Psychology Department. Stamper includes his perception of the atmosphere at Winthrop during a time of great change in the country, and how that experience coupled with his work in the Wesley Foundation and the influence he received from professors paved the way for he currently lives his life. Stamper concludes his interview detailing his studies and careers after Winthrop. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.