Post 2

I would say the only similarity between Raymond Carver's "A Small Good Thing" and Murakami's "The Second Bakery Attack" is that they are linked by a setting based on food. The tone and the overall theme in both are quite different even though both contain metaphysical symbolic elements. In Carver's short story, the morbid accidental death of her son turns the bakery setting into a place of consolation and comfort. Where as the characters constantly avoid the bakery as it is a reminder of the tragedy that fell upon them; in contrast, the couple in "The Second Bakery Attack" actively go to search to find food. Murakami's short story plays on a much lighter quirkier note with the couple going to McDonald's-- a cheap, fast food place. The setting that they rob provides even more of a comedic undertone and asserts the magical realistic qualities of Murakami's writing. It's interesting to see that the Boku here is also a passive character in comparison to his wife. The wife takes control when they're at McDonald's, leading the action and dialogue of the story. Boku instead pays attention to himself and his surroundings more so than the robbery. However, both stories portray main characters that lack something. There's an indication of emptiness and/or hunger for something to either physically or emotionally complete them, which leads them to a place of food.