SUBVERSÃO E RESISTÊNCIA EM QUERIDA KONBINI, DE SAYAKA MURATA

DESAFIANDO OS ESTEREÓTIPOS DE GÊNERO DA SOCIEDADE JAPONESA

Abstract

In this work we will explore how the narrative Querida Konbini, by Sayaka Murata, offers a peculiar perspective on the social experience of women in Japan. The work is narrated in first person from the perspective of the character Keiko Furukura, a 36-year-old woman, single, employee of a Konbini (convenience store in Japan) and who never had a romantic relationship. In the course of the research, it will be exemplified what are the characteristics of Keiko that make her an unusual figure, considered unadjusted to the expected performance of a woman and how these characteristics become elements of resistance and subversion. In order to base the discussions on the female patterns expected within Japanese society in Murata’s novel, the research of Hafizh and Herlina (2022) will be used. On the issues of gender, performance and standardization of bodies, the reflections of Judith Butler (2019) will be used and, with regard to the role of the character’s work in a convenience store as a representation of autonomy, the research of Nicolai (2018) will be taken into account. From the analysis, it was found how the character Keiko challenges the gender stereotypes imposed in the Japanese sociocultural context through particular behaviors and considered subversive.