Das gespaltene Ich : Zur dissoziativen Identitätsstörung literarischer Figuren in den Texten des japanischen Schriftstellers Murakami Haruki

Today the concept of identity is less monolithic, but only possible in a pluralistic way. Living in today's conditions is life in the plural, meaning: life in the transition between different forms of identity. The protagonists in the novels of the Japanese writer Murakami Haruki often show symptoms that can be attributed to a multiple personality. The present study deals with the division of the self of these protagonists, especially in the novel Nejimakidori Kuronikuru (1994-95). The paper refers to the concept of identity as well as to results of research about the so-called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) which involves problems with memory, identity, emotion, perception, behavior and sense of self.