The Comparative Study Between Fitzgerald And Murakami

Recently, in the study of Murakami, it's generally said his writing style is deeply influenced by western literature. In Norwegian Wood, Murakami has shown his love for The Great Gatsby of Fitzgerald in the mouth of the hero Watanabe. For Murakami himself, he had spoken highly of Fitzgerald and his works for many times. In Fitzgerald Experience, Murakami wrote:"If I had never read Fitzgerald's, my works until now would appear another style." If we make a comparison between Norwegian Wood and The Great Gatsby after a careful review, we can find that Murakami was influenced more by Fitzgerald. No matter for its theme, bedeutsamkeit, narrative feature or artistic style, Norwegian Wood does have much in common with The Great Gatsby.However, if readers read carefully, it's not hard to find that as an Asian author whose works have been admired by both western and eastern readers, no doubt Murakami attracts readers by his unique. In my opinion, his unique lies in "antiquated oriental Zen" mentioned in the preface by Chinese famous translator of Murakami's works in Murakami's Chinese version. Murakami has followed both the lithe and elegant style of European and American literature and its writing principle of reflecting reality and pondering over life. Meanwhile, he has absorbed antiquated oriental social values. That is to say, the life attitude of following the nature, tasting loneliness and tasting helpless is just his unique that exceeds western authors as Fitzgerald.This paper tries to elaborate Murakami's inheritance and exceeding of Fitzgerald through the analysis of The Great Gatsby and Norwegian Wood from the angle of Comparative Literature. The first part intends to state The Great Gatsby's effect on the writing of Norwegian Wood in terms of content, theme, bedeutsamkeit, narrative feature and artistic style. The second part mainly discussed the unique oriental bedeutsamkeit revealed in Murakami's works. His unique is illustrated through the comparison between Norwegian Wood and The Great Gatsby's deconstruction of traditional values, attitude towards loneliness and relative untangling way, ridicule in the words, and expression of mysterious power. Thus the paper will state that the creation of Murakami includes specific oriental implication. The difference shown in the works of two writers is also a reflection of cultural differences.