A Wild Sheep Chase

In Chapter 4 of the book, the narrator states, “We are not whales–and this constitutes one great theme underscoring our sex life” (29). What do you think he means by this?

What do you think is the significance of the narrator’s girlfriend having beautiful ears (as opposed to beautiful hair, or a beautiful face)? How would you describe their effect on the narrator? 

The Boss’s secretary makes the narrator undergo a quest that is unnecessary, as he already knows the location of the star-shaped sheep. He nevertheless declares himself satisfied and pays the narrator at the end. How do you explain this behavior, and what do you think motivates him?

How would you describe the powers that the magical sheep is supposed to have? Why do you think that they affect the Rat Man and the Sheep Professor–and the Boss–so differently?

At the end of the novel, the narrator gives all of the money that he has earned to J, to help him to finance his bar and pay off his debts. Would you describe this as a hopeful gesture, or a hopeless one?  

The first chapter in the book concerns a character–a college girlfriend–who never appears in the book again. What relation do you think that this character has to the rest of the book? Why do you think that this chapter is included?

Why do you think that the Sheep Man talks by slurring all of his words together? How would you describe his overall affect? Would you describe him as a funny character, or a serious one? 

The history of the Junitaki township that the narrator reads on the train concerns an Ainu man who acts as a guide to some settlers, and who gradually assimilates into their culture. How do you see this story as resonating with some of the themes in the novel?