Earthlings

Sayaka Murata’s Earthlings portrays societal pressure to conform as a violent, dehumanizing force that pushes individuals toward extreme identities as a means of survival. The novel argues that the so-called “normalcy” of society is irrational and restrictive, compelling those who cannot comply into radical and often self-destructive acts of rebellion. The narrative filters this theme through the protagonist, Natsuki, who conceptualizes her town, which she calls the Baby Factory, as a microcosm of society at large, a relentless system designed for the sole purpose of human reproduction. Within this framework, individuals are not people but components, valued only for their ability to contribute to the assembly line of procreation. Natsuki, who feels alienated from this purpose, is treated as a defective part, enduring constant criticism from her family for failing to fulfill her perceived duty.

This intense pressure forces characters to mimic conformity while internally rejecting it. Natsuki and her husband, Tomoya, enter a marriage of convenience, a sexless and emotionally distant partnership designed to give them the appearance of a socially conforming couple to evade the constant scrutiny of the Factory. Their relationship is a performance, a hollow imitation of the societal ideal they are expected to embody.