“Unclose your mind. You are not a prisoner. You are a bird in fight, searching the skies for dreams” (p. 183).
This quote from Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World takes place when the narrator from The End of the World chapters is talking to the Librarian about the process of dream reading. This quote stuck out to me because it really hints at one of the stories more prominent themes: the abilities of the unconscious mind. As the reader eventually learns, the Town that the narrator is in is actually a creation of the Calcutec’s subconscious from the Hard-Boiled Wonderland chapters. Throughout this semester, we have read other texts that deal with the unconscious mind, like Neuromancer. In Neuromancer, the protagonist also creates a an alternate world to live in by uploading his subconscious to the matrix. In Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World and other texts alike, the subconscious is depicted as a means of escape from reality. In the quote above, the author uses the word “prisoner” to describe the conscious mind. Why? Because the conscious mind is limited by the confines of time and space, whereas the unconscious mind is not. The subconscious mind also seems to be related to knowledge, as if one can learn more through an unconscious mind frame than a conscious one.
I really like how you juxtaposed the conscious mind with the unconscious mind, demonstrating that the side of thinking we may have less familiarity with is actually the mind that is more freeing. I agree with your point that the conscious mind is somewhat like a prison in that we’re thought to think in terms of what we perceive as reality, whereas our unconscious mind is free to explore any thoughts, whether they be attainable or entirely made up.
I found this post interesting in the context of the characters present in the End of the World. Murakami seems to keep a dual-standard regarding the complexity in the End of the World; while the characters themselves represent a subconscious of immense complexity and data, the characters themselves lack titles and have given up complex emotions through their shadow. When the protagonist of The End of the World interprets the dream, he describes them as “streams of light”, and while interpreting the dreams becomes easier, never gains any understanding as to their intention. Perhaps Murakami’s intention is that there is complexity in simplicity – in not bombarding the reader with detail, he creates a more intense and nuanced environment in The End of The World.
I think your exploration of the idea of the conscious mind as a “prison” of sorts is a very interesting one, and this helped me to approach the reading in a new light. Typically, one thinks of the hidden subconscious mind as a locked up prison of sorts, rather than the conscious mind as such. The subconscious though, in the context of the text, allows greater freedom and relieves the narrator of the burdens and responsibilities of the conscious world: work, secrets, predatory characters, etc. It is also interesting to consider though, how the world contained in the readers subconscious is very prison-like, with the impenetrable walls, the forced division of body and shadow, and the forced job-fulfillment that takes place in the Town. Although the text posits the conscious mind as a prison, the world of the narrator’s unconscious appears to be more of a prison, although as you point out, it isn’t limited by time and space. This argument definitely goes both ways and is a stimulating point to consider!