El método de la “caja negra” en la construcción del personaje: Chéjov y “Los años de peregrinación del chico sin color” de Haruki Murakami

Abstract

The article examines the connections and transitions between the narrative innovations of Anton Chekhov and Haruki Murakami within the genre of the psychological novel. Both authors employ symbols, dreams, and irrational mental states, alongside direct psychological analysis, to explore emotional struggles and psychic anomalies during critical moments in life of an ordinary person. In defining a new category of the “road”, both authors establish inner development aimed at self-knowledge as its foundation. Themes such as Eros, personal responsibility, and the nature of the soul are central, with the concept of the “black box” of the subconscious emerging as a shared focal point in their work. However, Chekhov adheres to a realist psychoanalytic approach that remains grounded in the boundaries of reality, whereas Murakami introduces a mystical perspective to examine liminal states of consciousness. The psychological narratives of both authors are analyzed in the context of their external plots, emphasizing the frequent use of open endings as a defining feature of their storytelling. The depiction of the landscape highlights the shared philosophical worldview of both authors.