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Book 2, Chapter 2
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
The next day, Toru meets Malta and Noboru at the agreed-upon spot. When he sits down, for a moment he feels like neither of them even acknowledge his presence. Finally, Noboru speaks and coldly informs Toru that Kumiko left him for another man. Before even letting the information sink in, Noboru tells Toru that the next step is to get a swift and clean divorce. Toru is confused. Not only does he not trust Noboru, but he also does not think Kumiko would have gone to him with her marital problems.
This is the first and only time Toru and Noboru will directly interact with each other outside of flashbacks. The first time Toru met Noboru, it was to announce his marriage. The second time he meets Noboru, it is so Noboru can tell him his marriage is over. However, it is suspicious that Noboru is the one delivering this message and not Kumiko, given that the siblings do not have a positive relationship.
Themes
Toru looks to Malta for guidance. Malta tells him that the first time she met Kumiko, it was to talk about the missing cat. However, Malta sensed that more was going on, and eventually Kumiko revealed to Malta that she was having an affair. Still, Toru does not know what to think. Noboru, with a cold look on his face, starts berating Toru. He tells him that he disapproved of the marriage from the beginning because he knew Toru would never amount to anything.
Again, Noboru’s second interaction with Toru is hardly different than the first; Noboru can only express disdain for Toru. It’s plausible that he is angry because he does not want the divorce to have a negative impact on his political career. Otherwise, it seems unlikely that he would care about Kumiko and Toru’s marriage.
Themes
In response, Toru tells Noboru a parable about a place called the “shitty island.” In the parable, everything is made of and produces excrement. The point of the story is that negativity can quickly multiply. If one is not careful, it becomes impossible to escape, and one can trap oneself in a perpetually negative world. Toru tells Noboru that his life is a perfect example of the “shitty island.” Then, Toru starts to tear into Noboru. He tells him he sees through the false face Noboru shows the public. Toru also warns Noboru that he knows all his secrets, so he should watch his step. On this count, Toru is completely bluffing. He knows a little about Noboru but not enough to damage his political career. However, Noboru does not realize Toru is lying. His face slowly turns red, and he gets up and leaves the table.
Unlike the first time they met, Toru pushes back on Noboru through his parable, which expresses disdain for Noboru’s selfish, nihilistic worldview. Additionally, Toru is smart enough to know that Noboru only came to the meeting to protect his own interests, and he uses this fact to his advantage. Because Noboru sees Toru as a lesser human being—in fact, he barely sees him as a human being at all—he is enraged when Toru gets the better of him. He knows what he has done in the past and thinks it likely that Toru does have knowledge or evidence of his immoral behavior.
Themes
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Malta asks Toru if attacking Noboru was cathartic. Toru is unsure. On the hand, he is glad he stood up for himself; he hates Noboru and is glad he made him upset. On the other hand, he is wary of how quickly Noboru can get under his skin. He tells Malta that he never wants to see Noboru again. In response, Malta says he should brace himself because he will interact with Noboru more in the future.
Malta’s prediction here is important because, again, this is the only time Noboru and Toru meet face-to-face in the novel outside of flashbacks. However, Toru meets several mysterious figures in his dreams, and what Malta says here implies that one of them is Noboru.
Themes
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