Existentialism is a 20th century philosophy and school of literature that holds that life is meaningless and chaotic, and that any abstract theory about it is useless. All that exists is the world of phenomena perceived by our senses. Whatever metaphysical concept lies behind this world is not only impossible to know and understand, but also has no significant value. The only choice we have to make in life is to accept this world with a kind of determined joy, to discipline ourselves, and to challenge the emptiness and chaos by finding our meaning in life (“Friedrich Nietzsche Part 4”). Although Haruki Murakami does not directly express any existential vision in What I Talk about When I Talk about Running and Norwegian Wood, he is an existential writer par excellence because much existentialism involves the resolution of private dilemmas. There is a lot of focus on introversion in existentialism, and it can be seen in the lives of Murakami's characters. In What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Murakami was facing the dilemma of participating in a 62-mile ultramarathon that took place every June. at Lake Saroma in Hokkaido, Japan (104). According to Murakami, “Runners run along the shores of Lake Saroma, which overlooks the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Only once you actually walk the route do you realize how ridiculously huge Lake Saroma is” (105). The weather gradually changed from freezing to too hot to wear warm clothing during the ultramarathon (105). As Murakami ran, he began to feel intense pain in different parts of his body (109). Even so, he felt very happy when he reached the finish line, not so much pride as a sense of completion (115). Through running, Murakami finds his own meaning... middle of paper... Through perseverance, we overcome obstacles and find happiness in this chaotic world of ours. We find our reasons to live and choose to uphold our values. All these things are principles of existentialism. There is no purpose in life other than what we create for ourselves. Works Cited"Friedrich Nietzsche Part 4 - YouTube." YouTube: Broadcast yourself. Network. September 25, 2011..Murakami, Haruki. What I'm talking about when I talk about running. New York: Vintage, 2007.Print.Murakami, Haruki. Norwegian wood. New York: Vintage International, 1987. Print."Freedom Island - Søren Kierkegaard." RobertHSarkissian.com. Network. November 27, 2011..Murakami, Haruki, Alfred Birnbaum, and Jay Rubin. The elephant disappears: stories. (TEV) New York: Knopf, 1993. Print.