The Flock’s Black Sheep
My view on Convenience Store Woman
The novel: Convenience Store Woman, is an interesting introspection into the constraints and expectations placed by society upon its inhabitants. The novel was written by author Sayaka Murata and was originally written in Japanese. Later, the book was published in English under the publication house: Grove Press. The novel centres around the life of Keiko Furukawa, who is 36 years old, a maiden and works at a Japanese convenience store.
It is important to consider the audience and context when talking about Convenience Store Woman. The novel is set in modern-day Japan and addresses Japanese society but is still relatable on some level to most people. Japan is a collectivist society where 99% are from a common ethnicity. In Japan, it is of pivotal importance that one must conform to society. A girl in Japan with naturally brown hair was shunned by her school and forced to dye her hair black in school (Japan student forced to dye her hair wins compensation 2021); this incident is telling of how willing the Japanese are when enforcing uniformity in their society.
The novel is narrated in first person by the protagonist: Keiko and starts with Keiko describing the convenience store with its various sounds, shelves, and items. It is then revealed that Keiko joined the convenience store as a part-time gig during college and hasn't married or worked another job since then. Throughout the whole of Convenience Store Woman, it is evident that Keiko is deeply invested in the workings of the convenience store; she knows what item will sell well or poorly depending on the weather and she can calculate the customer rush based on timings and changes in the surrounding neighbourhood: such as the opening of a new building. She is content with her life.
Eventually, the novel starts to unravel, and readers get introduced to how the protagonist is perceived by the rest of the world whether it be her sister or even friends at a gathering. It soon becomes clear that Keiko is the flock's black sheep and is perceived as a nail that sticks out of a plank and must be hammered down. During a barbecue party, characters start to stick their noses into Keiko's life, judging her and planning her future. Without the character's consent, people start to offer "help" and are soon set on creating a marriage profile for her on a marriage matching site. In the latter half of the novel, Keiko offers stay to a pathetic man named Shiraha and the readers get to see the change in how society treats Keiko; she is invited to drinks by her work colleagues, receives an ecstatic response from her sister, etc. Shortly after this Keiko's sister visits her apartment and is heartbroken when she realizes Keiko's relationship with Shiraha is not as it seems; she begins to cry saying: "When will you ever be cured, Keiko…?".After witnessing this performance Shiraha enters and makes up a story about cheating on Keiko, thus being ashamed and hidden from her sister's sight, her sister's demeanour now calms and she begins to lecture Shiraha. During this, my favourite quote from the novel makes an appearance: "She's far happier thinking her sister is normal, even if she has a lot of problems, than she is having an abnormal sister for whom everything is fine." At the end of the novel Keiko comes to grips with herself and quits the cycle that Shiraha and society had imposed upon her.
Convenience Store Woman can be looked upon as author Sayaka Murata's interpretation of modern society and its forced expectations upon its inhabitants. The novel adds a level of authenticity with its detailed descriptions of both the setting and characters, readers can vicariously feel Keiko's struggles because of how realized the world is with its culture, picturesque convenience stores, and most importantly realistic characters, it is worth mentioning that author Sayaka Murata used to also work at a convenience store for multiple years, which no doubt influenced the novel and its plot. The thing that makes Convenience Store Woman special is that it successfully performs one of those rare magic spells in literature; it makes the reader expand their horizon and look at the world through a different point of view, which in turn affects the reader's perception and helps them form a new perspective. Lastly, the novel does also represent strength in an individual's conviction because, in the end, Keiko refuses to be the sheep that is forced to follow the shepherd's crook known as societal conventions; many are not as fortunate in this world.
Link:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56099237
