After Dark

A particularly enigmatic figure, the Man with No Face represents several things in After Dark. First, he is emblematic of the Voyeurism and the Narrative Camera that pervades various places in the novel (in this case, Eri’s bedroom). He is directly opposed to the narrator—who claims to be nothing but a point of view—both literally and figuratively. He sits opposite to the perspective the narrative camera offers, at times forcing the camera to change its position to see what he is seeing. He also acts as a malevolent influence over Eri, while the narrator wishes her well, forcing the narrator to break its neutrality. As is typical in Murakami novels, it is unclear whether the Man with No Face is responsible for Eri’s unnatural sleep, or if he has anything to do with her being taken into the room depicted on the television.

The Man with No Face is symbolic of generalized violence. His outfit is reminiscent of Shirakawa in that it is generic, and he sits in an office reminiscent of Veritech—empty of identifiers, except for the same “VERITECH” pencil that Shirakawa fiddles with. The dangerous energy that threatens Eri is a reference to Shirakawa’s violent tendencies—his frequent visits to the Alphaville indicate his willingness to objectify women.