AUTHENTICITY AND SPONTANEITY: EXPLORING FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN KAWAKAMI'S HEAVEN

Abstract

This study examines authenticity, spontaneity, and freedom of choice in Mieko Kawakami’s Heaven. Through the lenses of Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist philosophy and Laozi’s concept of Taoist wu-wei, it explores the characters’ struggles with agency and social pressures. This text poses questions about personal autonomy and the human desire for authenticity, portraying freedom as both a burden and liberation. This research bridges the gap between Western existentialism and Eastern Taoist philosophy by comparing Sartre’s notions of freedom and choice with Laozi’s focus on effortless action and harmony with nature. This research study analyzes moments of spontaneous rebellion and passive endurance, to highlight the tension between living authentically and conforming to oppression. The main aim of this research article is to explore freedom as a deeply personal construct shaped by internal and external factors. This article offers a close textual analysis of Heaven by using qualitative and descriptive methodology to uncover the themes of human existence, freedom, meaning of life and the fragile balance between authenticity and spontaneity within societal constraints.