The Wall verses the Egg

Haruki Murakami states, “Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg.” (Always on the side of the Egg). Murakami chooses to write about and stand alongside the egg. What does this mean?

To me, it means he supports and offers a voice to those who may not hold as much power as the wall. The wall is depicted as this system that often disregards the well being of the egg–or people. It is important to have writers like Murakami who support and “stand on the side of the egg,” because they are allies to the unarmed soldiers against the bombs and tanks.

When the wall stood in Rosa parks way didn’t move and continued to sit on the bus. When the wall didn’t grant women the right to vote, the Women’s suffrage movement demanded it. When the wall let racism and discrimination slip by with no change, the African American community marched and protested.

This wall is a symbol of a system that stands tall, firm in the ground, unwilling to shift. One egg does not bear the strength to tear down a wall. If we all choose to listen, understand, and support the egg, the system will not win as the expense of the egg.