The Interconnectedness of Urban Life: Representations of Capitalism in After Dark

Abstract

This paper examines the representations of urban life in After Dark by Murakami Haruki. Modern cities in 21st century have been theorized as having opened up new space for a different type of economy. It is the argument of this paper that the novel showcases a sympathetic yet ambivalent attitude towards Tokyo's nighttime service economy. Shamelessly materialistic and sometimes violent, it is a place for work for some and refuge for others, but in the end, the depiction of capitalistic society facilitated through this particular service economy is quite sinister. As the inertia of capitalism marches on, the novel sketches a picture of not just Tokyo, but of the larger world order in our time, where everything is happening all at once, round the clock, in service of profit.