In “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami, two questions arise. The first is “What does the wave symbolize, or represent, to the seventh man?” Based on all the evidence in the text, the wave seems to signify fear, which is the dominant one, and guilt. “I told myself to run over to K., grab hold of him, and get out of there. It was the only thing to do. I knew that the wave was coming, and K. didn’t know. As clearly as I knew what I ought to be doing, I found myself running the other way—running full speed towards the dyke alone” (p. 138). This particular quote supports the answer because in the text it is written how the Seventh Man ran away instead of saving K’s life. If the Seventh Man were not frightened, he would have done whatever it took to save his best friend's mortal life. …show more content…
if I had tried. I probably could have run over and dragged him out of the reach of the wave.” (p.140) This text supports the idea that the wave could symbolize guilt in a minor way. Although fear is the predominant symbol, the Seventh Man seems to feel guilt every time he ponders the events surrounding K’s death. For example, in the text that was provided, the Seventh Man is thinking over and over again about how he could have saved his best friend's life, which he never accomplished. Ultimately, the wave in "The Seventh Man" symbolizes guilt and fear and has a significant impact on the Seventh Man. The passages show how his fear made him run rather than help K. because of the profound fear of the approaching wave. This is related to the guilt he experiences for not helping K., as he keeps considering the chances he had to save his friend's life. Overall, it shows how guilt can linger in someone's conscience long after the event has passed and how if an individual does not overcome their fear, it can ruin their
Block: 3 “The Seventh Man” Essay Fear is a part of everyone’s life, but it is how it is handled that makes all the difference. In the story “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami, a tragedy consumes a young boy and stays with him for many years. As the story continues, the narrator eventually realizes that he has to face his fear in order to lead a normal life. In “The Seventh Man”, Murakami develops the theme that one should face his or her fear with the use of similes, imagery, and symbolism. One
Survivor guilt is when a person perceives himself to have done wrong by surviving a traumatic experience that another wasn’t fortunate enough to survive. The author of “The Seventh Man” Haruki Murakami felt survivor guilt for 40 years for his failure to save K. He should feel survivor guilt because he claimed to be K’s protector and he failed to do so, he allowed K to follow him and when he looked back he realized he could have saved his life. Within a hour of the hurricane winds the
Many wise people before have said, “Life is a gift.” You never realize what you have until you lose it. How would you feel if you lost one of the most important things in your life and you could have done something to prevent it? In “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami, a typhoon sweeps a boy’s hometown in Japan. After the waves settled down, the narrator and his best friend, K. decide to go down to the beach and watch the tide. K. peacefully sat where the ocean meets the earth when a gigantic wave