The Inner Me or The Outer Me? -Abstract

America, land of the free home of the brave. Also home to people who seem all to concerned with there outer appearance and seem not to care a bit about what lies within. I see it all to often in my own life. I watch as girls spend countless time in front of the merrier and guys spend mount of time in the gym. The situation a little strange for some one like me. For a long time the external me did not match the internal. My external self matched what people though of me. The inner me never liked dresses but the outer me wore them. Every one has an inner self and an outer self. Even if the outer self not at much conflict as say Oshima from Kafka on the Shore. I think Oshima describes this conflict perfectly when he states “‘My body is physically female, but my mind’s completely male’”(179). The juxtaposition of male and female symbolizes the disconnect between Oshima’s inner and outer self. I struggled for a long time as why Haruki Murakami would include something as controversial as a transgender man in his novel. I realized though the theme that Murakami brought through out his novel. He pins the inner self and outer self sending them into conflict, because life just like that. Murakami also include Kafka who hold multiple inner self’s. He describes this so eloquently when he states “‘I’m Kafka on the Shore You say. Your lover- and your son. The boy named Crow’”(Murakami 319). Kafka describes him self in this multiple person multiple age and even specie person. The inner self though of Kafka lead to so much more growth then the outer Kafka. I think Murakami does and excellent job at holding up a merrier to society and asking the question what really matters the inside or the outside?