The Paradox of Conformity and Deviance in Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman

Abstract

Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman (2018) is a Japanese novel featuring a young protagonist named Keiko Furukura, who has been working in a convenience store for more than eighteen years. She chooses to do so because she cannot find another job that both satisfies her andmakes her feel ‘normal’. Keiko istreated as ‘weird’, ‘strange’ and a ‘freak’ by society because she lacks the ability to read emotions and understand social cues. She is however, an extremely efficient worker who perfectly understands every aspect and requirement of her job as a convenience store worker. She refuses to find another job even though she is getting older as this job is her only source of comfort. With Keiko’s character as the centre of focus, this research paper examines how the concepts of conformity and deviance are depicted by the author. Modern society is characterised by its celebration of individuality and uniqueness. Yet it also expects a certain degree of conformity. This paper therefore examines Keiko’s struggle to find her sense of Self and identity within such a demanding socio-cultural setup that is highly contradictory in its own beliefs.