Life after the earthquake took a toll on Koruma’s life. From having it all: good looks,a partner,a solid routine, love, work, all functional, to lostlessness in a love hotel with a stranger, we follow the turn of events Koruma’sudden faces.
Things crash down, change forms. Everything in this world is impermanent and mendacious, but we have become blinded by the unnatural routines we have created. This story in particular emphasizes the organic-ness of the human experience, and how fluid and blurry experiences truly are. One moment we’re sitting at work, the next we’re delivering mysterious boxes cities away to give our essence away to maybe… a Witch?
Komura’s wife’s interest in the earthquake in this short story was one of the most fascinating parts to me. I like to believe that this natural occurrence is what made her realize the unnatural connection between her and her husband, as they are polar opposites and live in a bubble of routine. I can assume that watching the recurring news events was the catalyst of change. Catastrophic, change, shifts, all natural gave her the courage to shift away from a superfcial stable ground that her marriage provided.towards the end, once again the earthquake recurs in Komura’s thoughts.he is unable to understand what to do with his life, just like the Illinois of those affected by the earthquake.
The casualty of an earthquake, seeing a UFO, being killed by a bear, and meeting a witch, can be paralleled to human affairs: love and relationships. we are suceptible to flounder into brick walls of confusion when unexpectedness presents itself at our door; just like an earthquake, our ground of stability is on a fault. its onlmy a matter of time before it shifts and are all in tension until theybefore they’re ready to scrape
