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Book 2, Chapter 13
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Reality and Subjective Experience
Free Will
Desire and Irrationality
The Personal Impact of War
Social Alienation
Summary
Analysis
After Noboru sexually assaulted Creta, Creta isolated herself for several days and attempted to come to terms with what she had experienced. Eventually, as her intense emotions subsided, she realized she had transitioned into a new phase of her identity. In her first phase, she only experienced pain; in the second phase, she felt nothing. Meanwhile, the third phase is a mix of both, and she considers it her most authentic self. In this phase, she can experience both pain and pleasure.
Whatever Noboru did to Creta turned out to be a blessing and a curse. On the hand, it was a gross violation. On the other, Creta feels much more like herself than ever before. One way to interpret the novel is that Creta is an alternate version of Kumiko, perhaps one that comes from the alternate reality Toru experiences in the well. If this is the case, then Murakami is implying that Noboru sexually abused Kumiko.
Themes
Creta’s experience after her assault is similar to what Toru is doing now. In this sense, they are kindred spirits as they both attempt to rebuild their lives from scratch.
Themes
Malta analyzed the situation and concluded that Noboru violated Creta, but remarkably, this violation somehow contributed to her self-reconstruction. Malta renamed her “Creta” to symbolize her transformation. Then, Malta guided her sister in learning to control her new self. Like Malta, Creta has mysterious powers, which need to be nurtured. Five years later, Noboru visited Malta for spiritual guidance. Creta was startled when she saw him again. She told Malta that Noboru was man from her stories.
Rebirth is an important motif throughout the novel, as several characters undergo the experience. When Mamiya and Toru climb out of their respective wells, symbolically, they are reborn. The same is true of Creta after her suicide attempt and her experience with Noboru. Notably, the experiences that lead to rebirth all require significant pain and suffering.
Themes
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At this point, Toru interjects, questioning whether Creta intentionally entered his mind when they had sexual encounters in his dreams. She confirms that entering someone’s mind is indeed one of her abilities, which Malta helped her understand and control. Additionally, she reveals that she entered Toru’s mind because Malta told her to. However, Creta remains uncertain about Malta's motives for infiltrating Toru's mind. Still, she promises Toru that she and Malta are on his side, and not Noboru’s.
Creta trusts her sister even though she does not know what she is planning. Additionally, she confirms what Toru has feared; that is, someone is playing around in his head and possibly controlling his thoughts and actions. Though Malta may be on Toru’s side, her motivations are unclear, and Toru does not appreciate being her pawn.
Themes
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Creta tells Toru she wants to take a break from working with Malta because she is weary of constantly entering and exiting people’s bodies and minds. Instead, she says she wants to go to Crete to take some time for herself. She invites Toru to accompany her, but he explains that he needs to confront Kumiko in person before moving forward with his life. Creta urges Toru to contemplate her proposal before the time comes for her to leave. Creta believes that she and Toru can help each other given that they both need to take a break from the craziness of their lives.
Malta uses Creta, just as she does Toru, to meet her own ends. In this way, she is like Noboru. Also like Noboru, she possesses great power over others. This is not to say that the two of them are different sides of the same coin, like some other characters in the novel. However, there are more similarities than Malta and Creta seem willing to admit.
Themes
Later, Creta asks Toru to have sex with her, believing it would help liberate her from the defilement she experienced at the hands of Noboru. She wants to physically engage with the last man she mentally connected with. In exchange for sex, Toru agrees to give Creta Kumiko’s clothing as a form of payment instead of money. Money, he says, is too personal, and he does not want to treat Creta like a sex worker. Before proceeding with the sexual encounter, he asks about Noboru's motivations.
Creta wants sex from Toru to help her transition into the next stage of her life. She hopes for an experience opposite to what happened with Noboru. Additionally, if one reads Creta as a version of Kumiko, then her request reads like an attempt to salvage Toru and Kumiko’s sex life.
Themes
Creta says that she does not understand Noboru much more than Toru does. However, she does say that he and Noboru despise each other because they belong to different worlds. Creta felt Noboru's dark hatred when he had touched her years ago. She cautions Toru against succumbing to this destructive and unproductive emotion. She knows Noboru is dangerous and that he has the power to fundamentally alter someone’s life. Toru proceeds to have sex with Creta, although it is a confusing experience, as he cannot help but associate her with Kumiko. Afterward, Creta warns Toru that something profoundly negative will likely befall him if he remains in Japan.
Creta’s comment about belonging to a different world from Noboru is another hint that she could have come from the alternate reality found in the well. Her warning to Toru implies that Noboru will harm Toru if he remains in Japan.
Themes
