It is no secret that The Legend of Zelda series is heavily inspired by literature and art throughout the world. From Link’s strange resemblance to the classic Walt Disney character Peter Pan to Shigeru Miyamoto’s fascination with the American novelist Zelda Fitzgerald, the Zelda series is the epitome of cultural diffusion. Perhaps no installment embraces a wider range of literary diversity than Majora’s Mask; however, the work that might have inspired the game’s Postman character is quite peculiar.
Ever the lover of schedules and deadlines, the Postman is the embodiment of punctuality. Whether rain or shine, he never fails in carrying out his sworn duty to deliver messages to the inhabitants of Clock Town. Not even the imminent destruction from the falling Moon can stop this determined lad. Time consumes the Postman so much that he even challenges Link to a wristwatch counting game.
It is not until the final day of the Majora’s Mask cycle that the Postman’s true desires emerge. In an odd twist of fate, our courier friend admits to a shocking truth: He wishes to flee the town but is unable due to his sense of duty. The Postman’s final words to Link are as follows:
To Myself, You have been doing a great job delivering the mail. I have a request for my hard-working self. All of the townsfolks have taken refuge. I want myself to flee, too. Even if it not written on the schedule, I want myself to flee.
The final revelation of the Postman’s true feelings does not coincide with his prior behavior. Why would someone so devout secretly want to flee the town? And what would drive this faithful courier to accept certain death when his heart desired the opposite? Perhaps the answer lies in a German short story that might have inspired the creation of the Postman.
Meet Franz Kafka. Widely regarded as a prominent figure in early 20th century literature, the German novelist wrote many short stories that explored the nuances of human emotion. In his latter years, Kafka concentrated on the dichotomy of personal fear and duty, which led to the creation of a one-paragraph story entitled “Couriers.”
They were offered the choice between becoming kings or the couriers of kings. The way children would, they all wanted to be couriers. Therefore there are only couriers who hurry about the world, shouting to each other – since there are no kings – messages that have become meaningless. They would like to put an end to this miserable life of theirs but they dare not because of their oaths of service.
The resemblance between Kafka’s lesson and the Majora’s Mask Postman is uncanny. Just like Kafka’s short story, the inhabitants of Clock Town are void of leadership. The cowardly Major Dotour is hesitant to evacuate the city, which leaves the Postman in quite the conundrum. Should he continue to deliver the mail or abandon his post? Though torn between duty and self-preservation, the Postman ultimately follows the same path as the Kafka couriers: both sacrifice personal desires to uphold oaths of service.
Although Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma have not confirmed the source of the Postman’s inspiration, the symbolism in Kafka’s short story closely mirrors the character arc of the Majora’s Mask Postman. Just like the couriers in Kafka’s story, the Postman did not have the fortitude to lead the citizens of Clock Town. Despite the challenge and pressure that leadership presents, it takes courage to fill the void. Thankfully, a certain hero possessing the Triforce of Courage visited the land of Termina and saved the inhabitants of Clock Town along with its most devoted messenger.
