Naoko’s choice: Life is Toru, Death is Kizuki - Sarah

 A major theme in Norwegian Wood is the love triangle between Naoko, Toru, and Kizuki. In my opinion, this also symbolizes a battle between life and death. This ambivalence becomes even more prominent in the movie, because both the visuals and the sound leave a stronger impression than imagination alone. Naoko’s thoughts and fragile personality were clearer to me through the film, and the symbolism of Toru as life and Kizuki as death felt especially striking.

One scene that spoke loudly to me was when Naoko and Toru were walking quickly across the open grasslands outside the mountain sanatorium. Naoko kept pacing ahead, while Toru stayed slightly behind her as a quiet companion. It was early dawn, and although the sun was rising, the basin of the grassland was still shaded and cold. During this walk, Naoko confessed her deep emotions toward Kizuki to Toru. She and Kizuki had known each other since the age of three, and he was the person she first ran to when she got her first period. For her, Kizuki became her anchor from the very beginning. Because Kizuki defined her emotional world, losing him meant losing the foundation of her sense of self.

As she made this confession, Naoko walked faster and faster, eventually sobbing so intensely that she seemed on the verge of losing her breath. When she talked about Kizuki, discomfort and grief overtook her, and her body reacted as if she were being pulled toward death itself, that she fell on the ground. 

She also expressed frustration about how her body would respond to Toru. When Toru asked, “You mean, but (the person you love) isn’t me?” she apologized saying, “i’m sorry”. Toru is the one she feels physical closeness with, her body she recognizes him even when her heart remains frozen. Ever since her birthday, she said she became wet when she saw him, revealing an undeniable sexual tension between them.

Although we discussed in class that sex can symbolize death in Freud’s theory, I think in this case, sex leans more toward life. Sex is an act of creation, something life-giving, and Toru represents a possible pathway back to the living world for Naoko. In the end, Naoko commits suicide, choosing Kizuki over Toru. Even though Toru offered safety and presence, Kizuki was the foundation of her early life, and that bond felt irreplaceable to her.