Alienation within one's Self

The two aspects of "Sputnik Sweetheart" that arose most commonly were loneliness and the the individuals inability to know themselves beyond the surface level. The three characters, but esspecially K and Sumire, try to fill this empty space with other people, or are inevitably drawn into conforming with society. Throughout the majority of the novel, K is unable to recognize his true identity. He conforms unresitingly to the external stimuli and as a result he is sucked into the masses and is unable to control conscious thinking. Sumire to falls into the same trap following her relationship with Mui. While reading the text, I isolated the lines (pg 70) where her personality changes to that of a mindless drone shifting through society. Sumire realizes her inability to read and write, she is wrapped up in trendy clothing, and intoxicated by the glamour that surrounds Mui's life. All of these components lead to Sumire's alienation within herself. She can not write anything, and therefore is unable to think. I believe that this is a major theme and focus throughout the entire novel. This sense of alienation within one's self can not be filled with glamour or relationships. Knowledge is attained only through meticulous effort and therefore can not be found with the help of another individual, but rather through intensive self reflection.