The Egg Versus the Wall

“Along the side of the Egg,” by Haruki Muraki is an acceptance speech for the Jerusalem prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society. Muraki says “Yes, no matter how right the wall may be and how wrong the egg, I will stand with the egg. Someone else will have to decide what is right and what is wrong; perhaps time or history will decide. If there were a novelist who, for whatever reason, wrote works standing with the wall, of what value would such works be?” This shows how Muraki is siding with the “egg” and does not believe in the “wall.” The “egg” represents the citizens, the people for which Muraki stands for. The “wall” represents the government, and how Muraki believes the citizens’ voice must be heard. Muraki then goes on to saying “If there were a novelist who, for whatever reason, wrote works standing with the wall, of what value would such works be?” This exemplifies Muraki’s significance with siding with the “egg.” It also tells the reader how important the “egg” truly is to Muraki. In the end, Muraki sides with the citizens.