We’re Not That Different: The Representation of Autism in Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman
Major
English – Literature
Second Major
Educational Studies
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
English-Literature
Faculty Advisor
Michael Theune
Location
CNS E103
Start Date
4-12-2025 8:30 AM
End Date
4-12-2025 9:30 AM
Abstract
Sayaka Murata, a Japanese novelist, is known for capturing the human essence in her writing, and this feeling is not lost in her novel Convenience Store Woman. The novel follows Keiko Furukara, a 36-year-old woman who has spent the last 18 years of her life working at a convenience store. Murata’s portrayal of Keiko feels otherworldly and refreshing in a world full of uniformity, but, as I will demonstrate in my presentation, there is more to Keiko’s personality than simple quirks and strange habits: Murata’s novel can be read from a neurodivergent lens, and we can uncover how Keiko Furukara is, in fact, living on the autism spectrum. I will make the case that this is so, and then I will argue for the significance of this representation. Murata uses Keiko as a conduit to readers who are also on the spectrum and may greatly relate to her experience, and to readers who may not understand how autism manifests itself in adults who are more independent and high functioning. People with autism, as well as families with autistic loved ones, see themselves in Keiko and her family, and this representation is not only valuable, but necessary to bring into mainstream media and literature.
We’re Not That Different: The Representation of Autism in Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman
CNS E103
Sayaka Murata, a Japanese novelist, is known for capturing the human essence in her writing, and this feeling is not lost in her novel Convenience Store Woman. The novel follows Keiko Furukara, a 36-year-old woman who has spent the last 18 years of her life working at a convenience store. Murata’s portrayal of Keiko feels otherworldly and refreshing in a world full of uniformity, but, as I will demonstrate in my presentation, there is more to Keiko’s personality than simple quirks and strange habits: Murata’s novel can be read from a neurodivergent lens, and we can uncover how Keiko Furukara is, in fact, living on the autism spectrum. I will make the case that this is so, and then I will argue for the significance of this representation. Murata uses Keiko as a conduit to readers who are also on the spectrum and may greatly relate to her experience, and to readers who may not understand how autism manifests itself in adults who are more independent and high functioning. People with autism, as well as families with autistic loved ones, see themselves in Keiko and her family, and this representation is not only valuable, but necessary to bring into mainstream media and literature.