After Dark by Haruki Murakami

An Analysis from the Perspective of Photography

Abstract

Literary analysis, when associated with aspects of other fields, can provide us with new interpretations of a work. In this regard, the novel After Dark by Haruki Murakami serves as the starting point for this study, whose objective is to examine how photographic aesthetics can be perceived in the narrative— either explicitly through terms from the field of photography or through visual metaphors. The methodology used is bibliographic in nature, and the theoretical framework is primarily based on Barthes (2022), Busselle (1979), Carvalhal (2003), Dondis (2007), Duchemin (2015), and Moisés (2006). The results show that the novel can be interpreted through the lens of photography, considering the number of terms and metaphors that contribute to the composition of the narrative, the setting, the construction of characters, and the visual impact of their actions. The narrator explicitly uses terms such as “point of view,” “angle,” “focus,” and “capture,” clearly associated with the field of photography. Through metaphors, the narrator often adopts the behavior of a camera. Furthermore, it is possible to perceive that the narrative construction refers to the concepts of point of view, framing, composition, and exposure, as in certain moments the reader seems to be in front of a photograph, due to the organization and detail of the space, the objects within it, and the characterization of the characters. The comparison between the photographic and literary fields allowed for a unique perspective on the novel, as we observe how elements of photography lend visuality to the work.