The Memory Police

The typist in the internal manuscript often foils and reflects Ogawa’s unnamed protagonist. How does the story-within-a-story structure develop our understanding of both characters?

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?