EXPLORING NARRATIVE TRANSPORTATION IN MURAKAMI'S THE CITY AND ITS UNCERTAIN WALLS AND CHUNG'S CURSED BUNNY

Abstract

This study examined cognitive engagement and narrative influence in Asian literature through Haruki Murakami's "The City and Its Uncertain Walls", Bora Chung's "Cursed Bunny". Grounded in Gerrig's (2018) Narrative Transportation Theory, the research explored how storytelling elements shape readers’ cognitive and emotional responses. The idea of "narrative transportation" refers to the extent to which individuals are captivated by a story or transported into one, causing their attention to become focused on the events that are occurring in the story. According to Green and Brock (2003), the persuasive power of fictional stories stems from an experiential state known as "transportation". Transportation increases the susceptibility of the recipients' beliefs to the information presented in the narrative along with potentially diminishing counter-arguments and critical thinking (Gerrig, 2018). A qualitative approach was adopted to analyze the immersive elements of surrealist, horror-satirical, and humorous cultural narratives. The findings revealed that narrative engagement reduces critical evaluation, as emotionally resonant strategies influence readers to align with characters ans themes, potentially altering attitudes and perceptions. The study concluded through analyzing Murakami's philosophical surrealism and Chung's horror-infused allegories,texts demonstrate the power of narrative to transport. Stories continue to be a transformative act, allowing readers to enter another world and often return changed, as evidenced by the participants' reported emotional and cognitive investment.