Globalization, Cosmopolitanism and World Literature: Comparing Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro

Abstract

A comparison between two authors who are of Japanese descent, but are perceived differently across the world: Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro. To find out if, due to globalization, the background of an author is less important in determining to which culture an author belongs than the authors he has been influenced by. It starts with a short description of globalization, cosmopolitanism and world literature. Followed by a short study of the background of the authors. The second and third chapter compare Murakami and Ishiguro to some of the authors they are influenced by.