This novel differs from most in its structure. The two distinct stories told in alternating chapters is jarring at first for the reader and causes discontinuity in the stories being told. It seems to me that one of the chief purposes for having these stories juxtaposed in such a manner is to force the reader to make comparisons and to try to understand how the two different stories connect. The settings of the two stories could not be more different. The hard-boiled wonderland is in a futuristic, highly westernized Tokyo, whereas the end of the world is in a fantastical, mythical town, illustrated by a map provided at the beginning of the book that is reminiscent of maps provided in fantasy books like The Lord of the Rings. Although the protagonists of the two stories seem to contrast each other almost as much as the settings themselves, first-person narration casts doubt in the readers mind as to whether or not the stories could be about the same person. Once the reader learns that the second world is a product of the main character’s subconscious, he is forced to question how two such different worlds and characters can come from the mind of a single individual. As readers, we must then question which reality is more real. They both exist in the mind of the protagonist. Although one may seem more magical, dystopian, and fantastical than the other, can we safely assume that those characteristics make the environment any less real?
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I think it is important to think about the reasons why this other world would have been created in the protagonists mind — and what that could be saying about society when compared to the world he lives in. Neither of these are perfect worlds, that much is very clear. But there can be parallels drawn towards our own life and how we behave. Hard-Boiled Wonderland explores the dangers with being too obsessed over technology and technological advancement. Their society holds this to be more important than the life of an individual (as the main character comes to find out). The End of the World, however, shows how a life without substance is unsatisfying and unworthwhile. These may not seem connected, but a balance must be met between the two.
I think it is important to think about there reasons why the protagonist would create this different world in his mind — and what that could be saying about society when compared to the world he lives in. Neither of these are perfect worlds, that much is very clear. But there can be parallels drawn towards our own life and how we behave. Hard-Boiled Wonderland explores the dangers with being too obsessed over technology and technological advancement. Their society holds this to be more important than the life of an individual (as the main character comes to find out). The End of the World, however, shows how a life without substance is unsatisfying and unworthwhile. These may not seem connected, but a balance must be met between the two.