Ricky Spenner
Professor Gleason
English 303
4 December 2008
I Cannot Find the Other Half: An Analysis of A Wild Sheep Chase
Pp294-302, 312, 340-341, 353
What I found most appealing about the selected passage, which for the most part is “The Sheep Man Cometh”, is how Murakami writes A Wild Sheep Chase to lead up to this point. For a novel that started out as a cheesy pastiche of old hardboiled detective fiction, Murakami gradually builds Boku’s travels into a horror story as readers question his sanity, motives, and experiences. I feel that Boku’s first interaction with the Sheep Man is the focal point of A Wild Sheep Chase for this very reason. I believe this is the beginning of Boku at his most vulnerable. Up until this point, he is a very apathetic character, leaving women and his belongings at will without paying them much thought. However, something about Boku’s run-in with the Sheep Man seemed to stir something in him, leaving him to wonder the same thing I was thinking as I was reading: Is Boku losing his mind? Is the Sheep Man really there?
Professor Gleason
English 303
4 December 2008
I Cannot Find the Other Half: An Analysis of A Wild Sheep Chase
Pp294-302, 312, 340-341, 353
What I found most appealing about the selected passage, which for the most part is “The Sheep Man Cometh”, is how Murakami writes A Wild Sheep Chase to lead up to this point. For a novel that started out as a cheesy pastiche of old hardboiled detective fiction, Murakami gradually builds Boku’s travels into a horror story as readers question his sanity, motives, and experiences. I feel that Boku’s first interaction with the Sheep Man is the focal point of A Wild Sheep Chase for this very reason. I believe this is the beginning of Boku at his most vulnerable. Up until this point, he is a very apathetic character, leaving women and his belongings at will without paying them much thought. However, something about Boku’s run-in with the Sheep Man seemed to stir something in him, leaving him to wonder the same thing I was thinking as I was reading: Is Boku losing his mind? Is the Sheep Man really there?
There is something about the Sheep Man that seems to put Boku in his place. Normally a sarcastic and humorously crude man, the Sheep Man appears to be “Boku Mk. II,” making up for his diminutive size with stern bluntness and an almost total disregard for Boku upon first meeting him. Upon first viewing the Sheep Man, Boku states, “I opened the door, and standing there…was the Sheep Man…the Sheep Man was barely taller than the mailbox. Four foot ten at most…as if ignoring his decisive shortcomings, he continued his scrutiny of the mailbox” (Murakami 294). This is where I feel Murakami turns A Wild Sheep Chase into more of a horror story than detective story. The Sheep Man is written as more of a creature than a man from his very first mention. As strange as some of the mentions in this novel are (ear fetishes, whale penis envy), a man wearing a full sheepskin seems almost barbaric. The Sheep Man is a perfect hellish character to haunt Boku, with dwarfish height, horns sticking out of his head, and animal carcass stretched over his body. What strikes me most upon reading this however is Boku’s reaction upon studying the Sheep Man. He is slowly starting to break. While first playing things casually, Boku fetches some whiskey for himself and his wooly guest. However, when the subject is shifted to his girlfriend, the Sheep Man exclaims, “Youdon’tthinkaboutanythingbutyourself” (Murakami 298), to which Boku, for what may be the first time in the entire novel, is held speechless. I believe this becomes the first instance in which Boku takes a step beside himself and evaluate his actions. I think this moment becomes a foreshadowing of Boku’s “crying scene” towards the novel’s conclusion, which I view as Murakami’s attempt to humanize the otherwise emotionless Boku.
The Sheep Man’s tone intrigued me from his first appearance. Once again, the way he combines words in a sort of speedy slur presents him as less human. Murakami crafts him perfectly, giving him just the right amount of dialogue and a strange diabolical tinge that seems to get under Boku’s skin. During their conversation about Boku’s girlfriend, the Sheep Man simply says, “You’llneverseethatwomanagain” (Murakami 298), not giving any inclination as to whether or not Boku’s girlfriend is living or dead, further adding to the mystery of the Sheep Man, what he does or does not know, and what he is capable of doing.
As previously mentioned, “The Sheep Man Cometh” appears to be the point in A Wild Sheep Chase in which Boku starts to break down mentally. Normally smooth, stoic, and confident, Murakami effectively instills his Coltrane influences into the creation of Boku. However, it is when Boku is left alone in the Rat’s cabin to face the Sheep Man face to face that the bebop feel starts to wander from Murakami’s style. It is here that A Wild Sheep Chase turns more into a mental thriller. Though the entirety of A Wild Sheep Chase is narrated by Boku and the reader is let into Boku’s mindset throughout, his encounter with the Sheep Man leaves the reader—and Boku himself—questioning his sanity. Keeping this in mind, there are many parallels that can be drawn between Boku’s mindset in this chapter and Dredg’s masterful song, “The Canyon Behind Her.”
As previously mentioned, “The Sheep Man Cometh” appears to be the point in A Wild Sheep Chase in which Boku starts to break down mentally. Normally smooth, stoic, and confident, Murakami effectively instills his Coltrane influences into the creation of Boku. However, it is when Boku is left alone in the Rat’s cabin to face the Sheep Man face to face that the bebop feel starts to wander from Murakami’s style. It is here that A Wild Sheep Chase turns more into a mental thriller. Though the entirety of A Wild Sheep Chase is narrated by Boku and the reader is let into Boku’s mindset throughout, his encounter with the Sheep Man leaves the reader—and Boku himself—questioning his sanity. Keeping this in mind, there are many parallels that can be drawn between Boku’s mindset in this chapter and Dredg’s masterful song, “The Canyon Behind Her.”
On an album dedicated to sleep paralysis and Salvador Dali’s "One Second Before Awakening from a Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate," “The Canyon Behind Her” beautifully captures feelings of paranoia, seclusion, and raw insanity. Musically, the song fluctuates between ambient guitar swells and piano flourishes and crashing drums and walls of noise. There is an anxiousness that carries the tune, thanks mostly to a repeating two-note bass line and nervous-sounding snare hits. The song instantly conjures images of a shaken Boku after his first meeting with the Sheep Man as singer Gavin Hayes belts, “Does anybody feel this way? Does anybody feel like I do?” This immediately brings to mind Boku’s humorously pathetic attempt at detective work when trying to figure out if the Sheep Man was in fact real. “Had the Sheep Man been an illusion? Yet here were a bottle of whiskey and Seven Stars butts left on the table, and there on the sofa were a few strands of wool” (Murakami 302).
Hayes goes on to indirectly describe Boku, singing, “I built a wall, it stretched one thousand miles…never content nor satisfied.” Going back to a previous point, this seems to back up what the Sheep Man said about Boku only thinking about himself. In all reality, he is a selfish person, but that is probably all he knows to be. However, because of his selfishness and the walls that he built, he will never see his girlfriend again. Hayes also drops a startlingly fitting (as discussed in section three) line in reference to the Sheep Man, crooning, “The massacre changed our history,” followed by, “Borderline paranoia yelling at their own rights.” There is a lot going on here, going from a Hiroshima/Nagasaki reference to feelings of paranoia and lashing out at others. This seems fitting, however, given the bizarre back-and-forth between Boku and the Sheep Man.
It is the bridge and finale of “The Canyon Behind Her,” however, which the most chilling moments are saved for. In the middle of the song, Dredg opts to journey from a swirling epic buildup to a restless breakdown of industrial-type guitars, trash-can sounding drums, and dissonant sampling. Having already perfectly capturing the anxiety and helplessness of sleep paralysis, the bridge also syncs up with Boku’s strange dream after his meeting with the Rat. The music in this section effectively captures the tense nature of Boku’s dream sequence—the relentless need to break out of the obscure sequence of images is further accentuated by the strange guitar work in the bridge. There is a feeling of breaking out in this section—the green cord, red cord relationship constantly making itself known.
It is the bridge and finale of “The Canyon Behind Her,” however, which the most chilling moments are saved for. In the middle of the song, Dredg opts to journey from a swirling epic buildup to a restless breakdown of industrial-type guitars, trash-can sounding drums, and dissonant sampling. Having already perfectly capturing the anxiety and helplessness of sleep paralysis, the bridge also syncs up with Boku’s strange dream after his meeting with the Rat. The music in this section effectively captures the tense nature of Boku’s dream sequence—the relentless need to break out of the obscure sequence of images is further accentuated by the strange guitar work in the bridge. There is a feeling of breaking out in this section—the green cord, red cord relationship constantly making itself known.
For the song’s finale, it is first important to revisit Boku’s final moments on the beach. He says, “I walked along the river to its mouth. I sat down on the last fifty yards of beach, and I cried. I never cried so much in my life” (Murakami 353). This is the first time in the entirety of A Wild Sheep Chase that we the readers see any speck of emotion come from Boku, and it is on the final page. What is most shocking about this is the type of reaction that Boku offers at the end of his journey: he cries out in a sudden outburst of emotion. The ending of “The Canyon Behind Her” is much like the ending of A Wild Sheep Chase, in which Hayes re-claims, “Does anybody feel this way? Does anybody feel like I do?” before professing, “Though half of me is gone, the lonesome part is left. I cannot find the other half.” Hayes exclaims “I cannot find the other half” several times in an emotional climax, much like Boku’s. With this in mind, it is not far-fetched to think that Boku had a side to him that yearned for love, belonging, and camaraderie. Boku seemed to genuinely care for his girlfriend towards the end, before she was taken away. It can be argued that Boku took up the hunt for the sheep not only to save his life, but to reestablish those seemingly “human” emotions and connections he had either lost touch with or never really had in the first place. He wanted his girlfriend; he wanted to see his good friend the Rat again. Instead, he ended up losing everything, and there was no one else to blame for this than himself. It is now up to him to pick up all of the pieces.
Spivak says people share characteristics that are essential to humanity. While she most likely had a more feminist idea in mind, it can apply for Boku at this point in the novel. For the duration of the novel, Boku straddles the line of machismo, offering a very stoic and apathetic approach to the world and how he treats women. However, his behaviors on the beach seem to go against Spivak’s notion of essentialism in that Boku is rebelling—consciously or subconsciously—against the male nature. That is, he is allowing himself to have a moment of vulnerability. This is his “other half.”
For a novel that does not provide many answers, the Sheep Man offers a particularly revealing moment during his second meeting with Boku. The relatively secretive Sheep Man offers insight as to why he lives such a reclusive life. “Ididn’twanttogoofftowar,” he sheepishly admits (Murakami 312). Though it appears the Sheep Man is in hiding for essentially being a draft dodger, many of his behaviors can be traced back to several disorders stemmed from the bombings on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan on August 6th and 9th, 1945 that killed over 320,000 people. Possible diagnoses for the Sheep Man could include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Radiation Syndrome, Fungal Toxin Poisoning, and Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome. Given the time that A Wild Sheep Chase supposedly takes place (about 30 years after the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima) and his relatively young age (he appears to be late twenties/ early thirties), it is possible Murakami wrote the Sheep Man to be either a victim of the brutal attacks on Japan in World War II or the spawn of a victim of the bombings.
If we the readers are to take the Sheep Man at his word that he was not a soldier during World War II, it is very possible that his physical stature, speech patterns, and apparent need to cover his entire body results from Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). The Annals of Internal Medicine describes ARS as a sickness that affects the human body only minutes after being exposed to radioactive material. The most common effects of ARS are vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and fever; none of which directly applies to the Sheep Man. However, the Annals of Internal Medicine also lists a symptom of ARS to be fetal abnormalities, which can include growth retardation (Boku recalls the Sheep Man to be no taller than four feet ten inches tall), fetal malformations, and increased teratogenesis (structural and functional defects, much like the Sheep Man’s hurried and slurred speech patterns and bow-legged stance). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) also mentions several skin deformations that result from ARS, including swelling, extreme redness, and hair loss. The CDCP reports that many of the survivors of the World War II bombings were diagnosed with ARS, and showed these symptoms within days, if not minutes, after exposure to the radiation from the bombs.
For a novel that does not provide many answers, the Sheep Man offers a particularly revealing moment during his second meeting with Boku. The relatively secretive Sheep Man offers insight as to why he lives such a reclusive life. “Ididn’twanttogoofftowar,” he sheepishly admits (Murakami 312). Though it appears the Sheep Man is in hiding for essentially being a draft dodger, many of his behaviors can be traced back to several disorders stemmed from the bombings on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan on August 6th and 9th, 1945 that killed over 320,000 people. Possible diagnoses for the Sheep Man could include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Radiation Syndrome, Fungal Toxin Poisoning, and Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome. Given the time that A Wild Sheep Chase supposedly takes place (about 30 years after the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima) and his relatively young age (he appears to be late twenties/ early thirties), it is possible Murakami wrote the Sheep Man to be either a victim of the brutal attacks on Japan in World War II or the spawn of a victim of the bombings.
If we the readers are to take the Sheep Man at his word that he was not a soldier during World War II, it is very possible that his physical stature, speech patterns, and apparent need to cover his entire body results from Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). The Annals of Internal Medicine describes ARS as a sickness that affects the human body only minutes after being exposed to radioactive material. The most common effects of ARS are vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and fever; none of which directly applies to the Sheep Man. However, the Annals of Internal Medicine also lists a symptom of ARS to be fetal abnormalities, which can include growth retardation (Boku recalls the Sheep Man to be no taller than four feet ten inches tall), fetal malformations, and increased teratogenesis (structural and functional defects, much like the Sheep Man’s hurried and slurred speech patterns and bow-legged stance). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) also mentions several skin deformations that result from ARS, including swelling, extreme redness, and hair loss. The CDCP reports that many of the survivors of the World War II bombings were diagnosed with ARS, and showed these symptoms within days, if not minutes, after exposure to the radiation from the bombs.
If the Sheep Man is in fact near 30 years old, it would make him a perfect candidate to be the child of a victim of ARS. If his mother was a bombing survivor with ARS, he would have been an infant at the time of the bombing and could in fact showcase the fetal deformation traits mentioned earlier, which do seem to fit him rather well. The idea of the Sheep Man suffering functional defections does explain his speech, posture and almost autistic lack of eye contact. However, one piece of information does not fit with this theory; that being the skin deformation and hair loss. For this to be true, the Sheep Man would have to be an actual survivor of the bombings, having been exposed to the radiation. This would mean that the Sheep Man is older than Boku or the Rat, meaning of course either the Sheep Man indirectly lied about his age by leading Boku to insist he was the Rat in disguise, or Boku was simply wrong about his faux detective work. If the Sheep Man is in fact a survivor with ARS, it would explain his need to cover his body in order to hide any unsightly skin deformities. This is highly unlikely, however, given that most Japanese people exposed to the radiation took anywhere from two months to two years to recover. Those who did not recover from ARS typically died within months, not thirty years, which would have been the Sheep Man’s case. In this instance, it is not likely the Sheep Man is a direct survivor, though it is possible his mother was pregnant with him when the bombs hit Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
The Sheep Man’s wood dwelling ways can also play a part in his bizarre ways. In 1955, 10 years after the bombing of Japan, a disease called Alimentary Toxic Aleukia (ATA) began to circulate throughout Japan. Though it was first seen in post-World War II Soviet Union, it was said to have been spread throughout Japan through contaminated rice and toxic fungus. The effects of ATA in the Soviet Union were said to be very similar to those of ARS in Japan, and further tests showed the Japanese cases of ATA to parallel ARS as well. While this does not fully explain the behaviors of the Sheep Man, it could give more validation to the theory of his having ARS given that the ATA outbreak occurred 10 years later. This would give the Sheep Man 10 extra years to contract the disease and showcase its symptoms—which are very similar to ARS—without dying in the process.
Fitting in with the Sheep Man’s forest inhabitance, Yoshiharu Fukuda and Makoto Fatatsuka recently conducted a study of Japanese forestry workers and their bouts with Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). HAVS is typically caused by constant use of vibrating tools and machinery such as power drills and saws. (Those with HAVS experience a change in color in their hands, ranging from a pale white, to deep blue, and finally to a bright red. Though the exact cause is unknown, it is said to have something to do with repetitive damage to small nerve endings and blood vessels found within the hand. The jittery and restless motions associated with HAVS are close to the motions of the Sheep Man). In their research, it was found that HAVS was a primary ailment amongst forestry workers in the 1960s and 1970s. Most of these workers had already started to die out by the time Fukuda and Fatatsuka began their research, though it was noted that wood dust and chemicals also contributed to the health of forestry workers, which resulted in cancer and—once again—symptoms resembling that of ARS.
Perhaps one of the most fitting diagnoses for the Sheep Man’s bizarre nature is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to the National Center for PTSD, those with PTSD are known to relive the traumatic event in their heads (often triggered by familiar sounds, smells, similar events), avoid situations that remind them of the traumatic event, avoid memories by refusing to fully express feelings, and hyperarousal (constant paranoia, sudden anger spurts). Though many cases of PTSD are cured over time, 33% of all people with PTSD continue to show regular symptoms. Though a majority of cases of PTSD during World War II were reported by Americans, it is not outlandish to reason that Japanese soldiers and citizens were also affected the traumatic events of the time.
Perhaps one of the most fitting diagnoses for the Sheep Man’s bizarre nature is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to the National Center for PTSD, those with PTSD are known to relive the traumatic event in their heads (often triggered by familiar sounds, smells, similar events), avoid situations that remind them of the traumatic event, avoid memories by refusing to fully express feelings, and hyperarousal (constant paranoia, sudden anger spurts). Though many cases of PTSD are cured over time, 33% of all people with PTSD continue to show regular symptoms. Though a majority of cases of PTSD during World War II were reported by Americans, it is not outlandish to reason that Japanese soldiers and citizens were also affected the traumatic events of the time.
It would make sense for the Sheep Man to suffer from PTSD, especially since he specifically mentions “the war” on more than one occasion (all on p. 312). However, the Sheep Man mentions on page 312 that he went into hiding to avoid “the war,” making it difficult to place him within World War II. Still, readers must take into account the Sheep Man’s relatively dishonest and misleading nature. There is something about the Sheep Man’s experiences in World War II that he is not letting on, as evidenced by his attitudes towards soldiers and war in general. When Boku asks him his opinion of the town below the forest, the Sheep Man relies, “Don’tlikeitatall.toofullofsoldiers,” (Murakami 312). The Sheep Man’s avoidance of anything remotely symbolizing war is a classic symptom of PTSD. However, in what seems to be a last effort to extend his comfort zone, the Sheep Man tries to conjure up war talk with Boku:
“Whereyoufrom?”
“Tokyo.”
“Heardabouthewar?”
“Nope”
At that point the Sheep Man seemed to lose all interest in me (Murakami 312).
“Whereyoufrom?”
“Tokyo.”
“Heardabouthewar?”
“Nope”
At that point the Sheep Man seemed to lose all interest in me (Murakami 312).
The Sheep Man’s behaviors are sporadic at best. While medical and historical explanations seem to fit him at times, there is nothing concrete to explain the Sheep Man. Perhaps it is better this way. It is very doubtful that Murakami would write such a bizarre and intriguing character with the intent on giving him a clear-cut past history. Presenting the Sheep Man—and the majority of A Wild Sheep Chase for that matter—with unanswered loose ends is part of the brilliance of Murakami. Though he writes enough to give his characters just enough ambiguous back stories, it is up to the reader to find the other half—something Murakami has gone through great lengths to hide.
Works Cited
“Acute Radiation Syndrome”. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. 10 May 2006. 01 Dec. 2008
<>
Dredg. El Cielo. Universal Records. 2002.
Fukuda, Yoshiharu, and Futatsuka, Makoto. “Mortality in a Cohort of Patients with Vibration Syndrome in Japan.” Journal of Occupational Health. 2000:245-250.
“Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome”. Patient UK. April 2006. 01 Dec. 2008
“Medical Management of the Acute Radiation Syndrome: Recommendations of the Strategic National Stockpile Radiation Working Group”. Annals of Internal Medicine. 15 June 2004. 01 Dec. 2008 <>
Murakami, Haruki. A Wild Sheep Chase. New York: 1989.
“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”. National Institute of Mental Health. 14 Oct. 2008. 01 Dec. 2008 <>
“What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?”. United States Department of Veterens Affairs. 01 Dec. 2008 <>
Works Cited
“Acute Radiation Syndrome”. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. 10 May 2006. 01 Dec. 2008
<>
Dredg. El Cielo. Universal Records. 2002.
Fukuda, Yoshiharu, and Futatsuka, Makoto. “Mortality in a Cohort of Patients with Vibration Syndrome in Japan.” Journal of Occupational Health. 2000:245-250.
“Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome”. Patient UK. April 2006. 01 Dec. 2008
“Medical Management of the Acute Radiation Syndrome: Recommendations of the Strategic National Stockpile Radiation Working Group”. Annals of Internal Medicine. 15 June 2004. 01 Dec. 2008 <>
Murakami, Haruki. A Wild Sheep Chase. New York: 1989.
“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”. National Institute of Mental Health. 14 Oct. 2008. 01 Dec. 2008 <>
“What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?”. United States Department of Veterens Affairs. 01 Dec. 2008 <>
