Lack of Companionship The Causes of Loneliness as Experienced by Toru Watanabe
44 friend named Kizuki. Besides Kizuki, Toru also meet
s Naoko, Kizuki’s girlfriend. Other than that, he does not have any friends in high school. The three of them
stay together most of the time as a trio until one day Kizuki commits suicide which gives a lasting effect for both of them, especially on Naoko’s emotional
stability. Toru moves to Tokyo to start studying in the university and escape from
his past life. In Tokyo, Toru starts his new life in college and dormitory after graduating from his senior high school. He also decides to stop taking everything
seriously and establish proper distance between himself and everything else p. 33. Toru seems still unable to make friends because he is left by his best friend.
However, he is finally able to be friend with Storm Trooper, his stuttering roommate. After Toru’s first year of college, Storm Trooper is withdrawn from
the dormitory and he leaves their room entirely to Toru. Since then, Toru spends his night by drinking alone and listening to music. Although he enjoys living
alone in the dormitory, Toru thinks about Storm Trooper every now and then pp. 66-67. When Toru thinks about Storm Trooper, it implicitly shows that he misses
his roommate and it shows his longing for a friend. The death of Kizuki gives tremendous effects for Kizuki, especially on
how Toru relates himself with other people that eventually causes his loneliness. Perlman and Peplau 1984 mention that one of the factors which triggers
loneliness is the loss of an important relationship through death. After Kizuki’s death, Toru decides to isolate himself from interacting with others by establishing
a proper distance between himself and everything p. 33. Since Kizuki is the one
45 and only best friend he has, Toru feels that he loses one person to whom he could
speak honestly of his feelings when Kizuki is dead p. 56. As a result, Toru has difficulties to make friends and be open towards others. Therefore, it can be
concluded that Kizuki’s death makes Toru experience his friendless situation and
loneliness. Kizuki’s death does not only affect Toru on how he tries to distance from
others but also affects his relationship with Naoko. After Kizuki’s suicide, Toru
and Naoko have not met for a year until they meet by a chance in Tokyo. The two of them spend more time together until one day Naoko leaves a letter for Toru,
saying that she needs some time apart and decides to quit from college to go to a sanatorium. Unable to meet Naoko, Toru sends a letter to the sanatorium where
Naoko stays. The next paragraph is an excerpt o f Toru’s letter for Naoko.
And every night I would think of you. Now that I can no longer see you, I realize how much I needed you. School is incredibly boring, but as a
matter of self-discipline I am going to all my classes and doing all the assignments. Everything seems pointless since you left. I’d like to have a
nice, long talk with you. If possible, I’d like to visit your sanatorium and see you for several hours. And, if possible, I’d like to go out walking with
you side by side the way we used to. p. 76
The excerpt depicts how Toru needs Naoko after she has left him to sanatorium. Toru loses a person to whom he can have a nice long talk and he feels the world
seems meaningless after Naoko has left. Toru and Naoko exchange some letters every week. In another letter, Toru
also writes that he misses Naoko sometimes and it is hard for him not being able to see her p. 262. He also tells how lonely Sunday is without Naoko. According
to Toru, Sunday afternoons are quiet, peaceful, and lonely; and it makes him
46 remember on the different routes they used to take in their Sunday walks around
Tokyo p. 263. Toru and Naoko are used to have a long walk and nice talk every Sunday afternoon. Therefore, Toru feels the sense of loneliness, especially every
Sunday, after Naoko has left and it shows how much Toru misses Naoko. During the absence of Naoko, Toru gets involved with Midori Kobayashi,
his classmate from drama class. Both of them spend some times together by having lunch or conversation. Once, Midori does not come to college, he goes to
cafeteria after class and eats a tasteless lunch alone p. 106. He sits in the cafeteria and observes other students who look happy with their companion in a
pleasant afternoon. When Toru sees this kind of scene, he feels lonely because others are happy with their companion and he thinks he is not the part of the
happiness. It was the usual noontime university scene, but as I sat watching it with
renewed attention, I became aware of a certain fact. In his or her own way, each person I saw before me looked happy. Whether they were really
happy or just looked it, I couldn’t tell. But they did look happy on this pleasant early afternoon at the end of September, and because of that I felt
a kind of loneliness that was new to me, as if I were the only one here who was not truly part of the scene p. 107
The previous paragraph tells how Toru feels the sense of loneliness in the middle of a crowd. It is supported by Baron and Byrne 1987 who mention that
loneliness can be a situation when a person feels isolated although he or she is in the midst of crowd p. 521. Besides, Toru also feels as if he is not the part of the
community because others are happy with their companions while he only observes the situation.
47 One day, Toru moves from the dormitory into a new cottage. Toru realizes
he has not been in touch with Midori for nearly three weeks and he has not even told her about the move. Toru tries to call Midori but her sister tells that Midori is
angry with him for disappearing without any news and Midori does not want to talk to him. When Midori finally agrees to see him, Toru is clearly distracted with
Naoko’s worsen condition after reading a letter from Reiko. Midori hurts for being ignored by Toru and she hands a note for Toru, saying goodbye and asking
him not to speak to her again. To Midori, Toru writes a letter telling that April and May are painful and lonely months for him because he cannot meet and talk to her
p. 342. After two months, they finally meet again and Toru admits that he feels lonely without Midori’s companion.
Toru feels that April is the loneliest month since Toru does not have any companion. Toru realizes that he does not only miss Naoko and Midori but
Nagasawa and Storm Trooper as well. Naoko has left for sanatorium and Nagasawa looks forward to his civil service carrier. Moreover, Midori still refuses
to meet and have conversation with Toru because she is still angry with him. Toru even misses Storm Trooper too, his long-lost roommate. In April, Toru feels
terribly lonely and misses his friends while everyone looks happy with each other’s companion.
April was too lonely a month to spend all alone. In April, everyone around me looked happy. People would throw their coats off and enjoy each
other’s company in the sunshine – talking, playing catch, holding hands. But I was always by myself. Naoko, Midori, Nagasawa: all of them had
gone away from where I stood. Now I had no one to say “Good Morning” to or “Have a nice day.” I even missed Storm Trooper. I spent the whole
month with this hopeless sense of isolation. p. 337
48 Toru feels lonely when he spends the whole month alone because he does not
have anyone as his companion. Russel, Peplau, and Cutrona 1980 state that a lonely person would have fewer friends and engage in fewer social activities as
cited in Baron and Byrne, 1987, p. 522. The previous statement from Russel explains that Toru’s loneliness is caused by his limited friendship. Toru’s
friendship is limited since he only has Naoko, Midori, Nagasawa, and Storm Trooper as his friends. Thus, when those people are gone, Toru does not have
companions and he feels the sense of loneliness as well. Baron and Byrne 1987 also state that loneliness is a situation when a
person feels friendless although he or she is in the midst of a crowd p. 521. Baron and Byrne’s statements describes Toru’s loneliness since he feels lonely
although he is surrounded by people. Moreover, Toru is also friendless since his friendship is limited as well. Thus,
Toru’s friendless situation proves that Toru lacks of companion and it leads him into his sense of loneliness. In addition,
Toru’s loneliness can be categorized as social loneliness. Weiss 1973 defines social loneliness as a subjective feeling caused by the lack of a sufficient number
of friends. Toru’s friendship is limited to some people and he lacks of friends as well. In conclusion, Toru feels lonely because he lacks of friends.