Flying First Class

Although the phrase Flying first class generally means experiencing luxury and contentment while on a plane ride, I could not help but notice how Murakami throws this phrase around. Murakami uses this phrase on two separte occasions, once in its traditional sense, and another in a sensational sense. Murakami mentions this phrase as Miu is talking to K trying to convey the necessity that he needs to make a trip to Greece as Sumire "would want [him] to come here" (80). During this conversation, Miu makes its clear that she will cover K's traveling expenses. She tells him, "Just come. The sooner the better. Just buy a ticket. First Class, whatever you like." (80) Here Murakami uses this phrase in the traditional sense. In a previous scene, Murakami uses this phrase in a more sensual, almost perverted manner. He uses this phrase to refer to K's sex life with older married women. Speaking of an older, but still attractive women he slept with, K writes about the woman, "She knew all my desires, everything I wanted and everything I didn't want. She knew just how far to go and when to stop-in bed and out. Made me feel like I was flying first class" (77). From his usage of this phrase of this situation as well as the other scenes, notably the scene with Miu and Sumire in the bed, it occurs to me that Murakami is somewhat pervert. Maybe, the author was simply trying to give the reader some insight into the deeper character of K, but using the first class methaphor to speak of K's sexual relationships is in the proper context, but doesn't neccesarily add to the overall quality of the story.