The Masculinity Crisis of the Male Protagonist in Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Abstract

Convenience Store Woman (Konbini Ningen) is a 2016 novel by Japanese author Sayaka Murata published by Bungeishunju, Ltd. This research 1) studies the masculine image of the male protagonist Shiraha, depicted as an exploitative hypocrite suffering from a masculinity crisis; and 2) analyzes how Shiraha’s masculinity crisis and hypocrisy led him to play a central role in transforming the protagonist Keiko Furukura. Convenience Store Woman differs from Murata’s previous works, in which male characters were usually limited to secondary roles. This novel shows the image of a superwoman that has no need to rely on males in her life; that is, the female character is depicted as a self-reliant breadwinner without a male character, who is depicted as a parasite.