Uniting Ideas with “Always on the Side of the Egg” by Haruki Murakami.
The way Murakami describes the egg as “a unique, irreplaceable soul enclosed in a fragile shell” and how he would always stay on the side of the egg has reminded me of the “individual is greater than the community” unit we discussed while reading Pham’s “Catfish and Mandala” In this comparison, the egg is the individual and the wall represents the community. Murakami portrays The System as emotionless and it goes against its purpose. While the representation of what The System is could be interpreted in many ways, for me this is somewhat reminiscent of how we, as American citizens, constantly battle The System because of its lack of support for those who need it. This speech excerpt also reminds me of the individual vs. the system theme found in many dystopian novels (examples being The Giver, 1948, Fahrenheit 451). This shows that those who are under the system are expected to follow the rules and restrictions, otherwise they will receive harsh punishment. These connections and relations of ideas are what makes this speech really motivating for those who feel alone in such a vast world. As intimidating as the opposition seems, individuals have the heart and strength to be able to power through.
