The Elephant Vanishes: Stories

Pick one story in which to explore the impact of loneliness and isolation in the characters’ lives.

How are the lives of Murakami’s narrators and characters impacted by modern issues, such as consumerism? In what ways do these issues contribute to their Existential Anxiety in the Modern World?

How do Murakami’s stories challenge conventional notions of reality in order to explore the relationship between individual Perception Versus Reality?

Discuss the role of memory and its unreliability in Murakami’s stories. Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Discuss the concept of time as it is used in one or more of Murakami’s stories in this collection. In what ways does it underscore the stories’ themes?

Pick three stories in which to discuss the way music, literature, or art influences the lives of the narrators or characters.

Explore the way Murakami depicts communication barriers and misunderstandings in his stories. How do such lapses impact Internality and Social Relationships?

Discuss the way Murakami uses ambiguity and uncertainty to explore the nature of existence. Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.