The sand in The Woman in the Dunes is an omnipresent force that cannot easily be escaped. In the novel, sand is defined as an aggregate of rock fragments, sometimes including magnet, tinplate and more rarely gold dust, with a diameter of 2 to 1/16 mm (13) . This scientific approach to defining the main character, Niki Jumpei, disconnects him from the importance that these rock fragments have in his life. Page 39 of the novel confirms that, although Niki does not yet consider himself a member of the community, the people of the village are working to clear the sand in order to protect the livelihood of their neighbor, and ultimately themselves . Only by shoveling sand every night do they have a functioning community. The sand forces them to work together. In this sense, sand is community. Each grain works together and is a piece of a whole. A single grain can be ignored without hesitation (Niki), but many grains cannot be ignored easily. It is the collaborative work of the community that keeps everyone safe, and therefore the sand that keeps them safe. Sheltered from the city and the outside world. This article will prove this through an analysis of the setting (the sand), ultimately arguing that the main character is struggling with a community's need to establish a personal identity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Throughout the early stages of the novel, Niki has a very negative disposition toward sand. He describes it as being barren, dry and inhospitable to all living things. Going so far as to assert that sand is not conducive to life (15), he believes that only sand was his enemy (62). Since Niki is from the city, he comes from a place where there is no force that unites people. It is his individualistic state of mind resulting from urban living which prevents him from understanding the positive aspects of the context in which he has been placed. The anonymous woman in the novel has lost her identity because she has given up her individual self to become part of the community. The woman is representative of the community and Niki therefore refers to the community as a whole when he addresses her as an individual. In a dialogue with The Woman, Niki directly states that sand is no small matter and that she is mistaken if she thinks she can sit against the sand by simply shoveling it every night (40). Without knowing it directly, Niki has already admitted the importance of community. He contradicts himself every time he tries to escape. Community is no small thing. Niki is mistaken if he thinks he can stop them with the methods he uses to try to escape. Although Niki views the sand (and therefore the community) as her enemy, it ends up becoming the catalyst for the Nikis' relationships. and the woman, and finally to the creation of their child. Over the many times Niki and the woman mate, their intimacy is preceded by Niki seeing the woman's body covered in sand and/or by her desire to clean the sand off her (46). It unites the woman with Niki physically, as well as on a metaphysical and mental level. Even though the woman represents the community, she is part of the sand. She doesn't fight sand like Niki, because it's part of her daily life. Niki having sex with the woman causes her to copulate with an essential part of the community (and thus the being united with the community itself). This allows him to accept the situation he finds himself in. A true testament to Niki's transition into the community is his production of a child, something he could not have.