Inner Travel

In the second book, Creta Kano finally tells Toru about her relations with Kumiko's brother. At first, I expected it to be a story of a woman raped by a man, but it in reality goes beyond that. Noboru Wataya defiled her in the sense where he not only exploited her body, but her mind as well. On page 306, Creta Kano explains how her relations with Noboru Wataya have allowed her to rediscover her third self. The first version of her was a girl who felt constant intense pain until her failed suicide attempt where she was plunged into an everlasting numbness. Following her strange encounter with Wataya however, she was able to fully manipulate these two previous versions of herself and blend them into one. She says, When pain comes to me, I leave my physical self. It's just like quietly slipping into the next room when someone you don't want to meet comes along." (page 306) I have realized that there are many supernatural aspects in the novel such as Mr.Honda's strange gift or the Kano sister's profession. This side of the novel reminds me of a book that we read in French class by a Japanese manga artist called Jiro Taniguchi; the story is called Quartier Lointain and tells the story of an adult man who strangely goes back in time to his childhood. By the end of the manga, the reader realizes that the time travel (whether it was real or simply a dream) represents an interior voyage of the soul. For some reason, I feel that Toru Okada is experiencing the same things that the main character in Taniguchi's illustrated novel went through.
Throughout the novel, Toru Okada seems to gradually lose his grasp on reality: the disappearance of his cat, his encounter with May and the Kano sisters, followed by Mr.Honda's strange gift, and of course Kumiko's escape with another man. Although he does come to meet many new people such as May Kashara or Lieutenant Mamiya, I feel as though Toru becomes increasingly isolated from the world and begins to focus more on himself. His adventure in the well allowed him to literally escape from the real world and to enclose himself. He could not see or hear anything thus forcing him make his mind more than it usually does; it is without a doubt that if I had chosen to remain in a well for a couple of days, I would be forced to think about everything but in more depth. I feel that Murakami uses Toru Okada's time in the well as a metaphor of the human mind. In his complete state of isolation, the main character was able to dig deep into his conscience, but also through his dreams, he was able to explore his subconscious. Due to the fact that he has absolutely nothing else to do in the well, he is able to question and reevaluate every aspect of his life: his main priority being Kumiko's departure.
At this point in the novel, I have noticed that many aspects of the novel make it appear beyond ordinary. It is as though, Murakami has written this book in such a way that the reader can equally feel the supernatural "vibe" that I feel is instilled in this novel.