just a cog - a review of "Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata

 

Sayaka Murata's Convenience Store Woman offers a unique exploration of society and normalcy. From the perspective of Keiko, a woman in her thirties who has worked at a convenience store since she was eighteen, Murata's work is preoccupied with working culture, social expectation, and the intense dislike or discomfort that is afforded to those deemed as weird.

It should be noted that Convenience Store Woman is a translation, originally written in Japanese. The plain, simple, and no frills language used (which is presumably the same in the original Japanese) suits Keiko's thoughts; disregard anything unnecessary; anything that does not serve her purpose as a convenience store worker. Further, as Keiko notes in many moments of the book, each person's vocabulary and tone is influenced and changed by those around them; as we read, we become influenced by Keiko and her unique manner of speaking, and therefore are living proof of her theory.

The simple language means that Murata's work is an easy read, but still a thought provoking one. Keiko is constantly admonished for not having a proper job, and for not being married. While the characters throughout the novel; Keiko's family and friends, claim to be driven by concern for her, the truth is that they are uncomfortable with her seeming disregard for social conventions; she feels no need to find other work, nor pursue any kind of romantic relationships. However, Murata ensures we, as the reader, also experience this discomfort with Keiko's oddness; while her quirks are for the most part amusing or even relatable, Murata's inclusion of her silencing another student by hitting him with a shovel and consideration of committing a similarly violent act to her nephew serves to shock us - and in some cases, support the other characters' desire to "cure" her.

However, her juxtaposition with the incel-like Shiraha, who desires nothing more than to fit in, also makes Keiko a character worth of admiration; although I found her lack of reaction to Shiraha's misogyny to be quite frustrating. Shiraha forms a particularly interesting comparison, because he always thinks of himself as a victim; viewing his alienation from society as everyone else problem; particularly women's, rather than due to his rudeness, sexism and off putting behaviour. He still believes that the world he claims to hate owes him something - a place in the village that he is so critical of, and a young and pretty wife with money, when he himself refuses to do any kind of self betterment. This is where our two oddities differ; Keiko simply wants to live in peace, unbothered, rather than included in mainstream society, whereas Shiraha desperately wants to be part of it all. 

Keiko's need to return to the world of a convenience store, the world she understands, is relatable and rounds out a novel that proves just how powerful conformity is, although it should still be resisted. In the end, she slips back on her uniform and becomes part of a world she is able to navigate once more.