A Wild Sheep Chase (6 pts): Why A Sheep?

     If you were to ask someone to think of a sheep, what would they imagine? They would probably think of a flock of fluffy animals grazing in a pasture. Maybe they would think of the phrase "counting sheep" when trying to sleep. I highly doubt they would imagine a ghost that possesses humans and robs them of their free will in order to transform humanity and the world.

    But why did Murakami choose to make his ghost a sheep? Japan is very well known for its folklore on spirits (yokai), such as the Yuki Onna and Oni. It would seem that the most obvious choice for a creature in a ghost story would be a famous yokai. However, I believe that Murakami chose the sheep because it reverses the roles of humans and sheep- in which we are the ones being herded instead.

    Sheep are very docile animals. They are the epitome of the herd animal, meaning that they will follow anything that leads them, such as a shepherd or sheepdog, and usually stay in groups rather than wander off individually. Therefore, it can be interpreted that sheep have no free will of their own. Murakami's ghost sheep is a special case however, because it contrasts the normal behavior of sheep, choosing to instead influence characters such as the Boss and Rat in order to get its way. The Boss becomes a powerful and influential right-wing individual, but without the sheep he is left to slowly die. Rat has to kill himself to rid himself of the sheep's possession. It's terrifying to think that they have become powerless and under the influence of a single sheep. It's like a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing situation, but it's a sheep in human's clothing instead.

    The term "sheeple" also comes to mind when considering the Boss and Rat. Sheeple is often used to refer to people who are easily swayed or manipulated, and through the power of possession, the ghost sheep uses these men to achieve its goal. It's a complete role reversal, and A Wild Sheep Chase can be seen as a cautionary tale to prevent people from being blind followers to manipulation, and to exercise their free will in order to live their lives in control of their actions.

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