The Memory Police

Memory is said to be most strongly evoked by the sense of smell; however, Ogawa uses several different sensory motifs in relation to memory. How are one or more senses—like touch and/or taste—developed in the novel?

Nature, a common trope in Japanese literature, is prevalent in The Memory Police. How does Ogawa break with seasonal conventions, and what do these breaks reveal about the island?

Two of the main characters—the narrator and R—are part of the publishing industry. What does Ogawa’s novel teach us about the craft of writing and editing fiction?

Both the protagonist and her mother are artists, working with fiction and sculpture, respectively. How would you compare and contrast the ways in which their art is subversive?

Freud defined the uncanny as making familiar things unfamiliar. How do the disappearances make objects, animals, and/or bodies on the island uncanny?

The motif of the heart runs throughout the veins of Ogawa’s novel. How are hearts represented in different characters and/or at different times? How are hearts transformed or solid?

An important location in the novel is the secret room. How is the captivity narrative a microcosm of the island’s isolation?

There is a significant lack of names in The Memory Police. What are some effects of not naming and/or partially naming characters?