A good chunk to analyse, as something life-changing has happened both in Nakata and Kafka's worlds; and the Rice Bowl Hill incident goes silent.
Page 102 opens with the letter from the children's teacher involved in the Rice Bowl Hill; an apology of sorts to state the whole truth of her reactions to the incident. I think the greatest significance this letter has on the plot is to show how unhappy Nakata must have been prior to losing his ability to read, write and make connections. The teacher states in the letter how he made little in class, was most probably pushed very hard by his parents to success and would be unhappy in life as all he knew was happiness as a result of success. However, this happiness was unattainable as the bar was always set too high for him to fully succeed. So in this sense, Nakata losing his intelligence freed him from expectations, which would allow him to be happy.
Aside from this, I found it difficult to understand the text. Much of the dialogue is quite unrealistic in this book, for as much as I love the poetry of them, few answers to profound questions can be so eloquently explained in a realistic exchange. It seems particularly unrealistic that in a letter between two relative strangers, one would describe to another to the extent of their more intimate thoughts of "I could feel my husband inside me, semen shooting against the walls of my womb". I made the point before that Murakami wanted to show the awkward control sexual desire plays in humans, which may be why it was placed.
In Nakata's story, he encounters a mysterious black dog leading him to the place of Johnnie Walker, a man dressed as the popular whisky label. Johnnie Walker states he has stolen the cats to make a flute of souls, and does so by cutting their hearts out of their living bodies and devouring them. Nakata kills him in a fit of rage. The presence of the black dog is interesting, as it seems to me to represent the polar opposite of Nakata's being. Nakata identifies with the cats not only in his ability to speak to them, but through his extended sleeping, docile lifestyle and single-mindedness. The black dog appearing to him is a symbol of foreboding by its monstrous appearance, but may also represent foreshadowing to the dark aspect of Nakata's personality.
Johnnie Walker is also an interesting character, as he is the most surreal being we have met as he lacks an identity entirely. He could represent Murakami's sentiments that the dark side of society must drive even the most pure of souls to commit sin, in order to become a part of that society for survival. It may similarly reflect some form of view that Western influence in Japan is mutilating its traditional values, represented in Nakata. It seems significant too that while Johnnie Walker curled up to the fetal position to look like a child, his face showed he was in fact an elderly man. This contrast could reflect the Japanese beliefs in that once a person dies, they return to some form of life force as a blank slate (according to Shinto-Buddhism, however I'm unsure of my understanding of this).
Finally, as Nakata wakes up, he has no blood on him nor traces of what has passed. This is interesting, as the lack of blood implies his lack of guilt; as if he transcends the human understanding that sin bears consequence. The theme of blood seems to be more prominent throughout the novel, almost serving as a reminder that while the characters lie between the lines of time, they are still bound to it by their mortality. Nakata also seems to make it rain mackerel from the sky, which adds to my belief that Nakata is not quite human. Perhaps this links again to his lack of a shadow. Some part of him has died during his sleep after the Rice Bowl Hill incident, the same part that can no longer cast a shadow. Maybe this makes him more of a spirit and less of a human, meaning that he is not confined to the laws of physics or other such rules - A creature with a temporary form, like Johnnie Walker or Colonel Sanders who will appear later throughout the novel.
As for Kafka, he spends the majority of this segment of the story in a cabin in the woods belonging to Oshima, while he makes the arrangements for Kafka to become a permanent fixture in the library. I believe that Murakami wanted to portray that absolute freedom is to be free of the constraints of time, as the seamless shifts between night and day and lack of obligation drove away Crow for some time. The connection Kafka establishes with his natural surroundings also seem deeply metaphorical for his own psyche; thus it seems the better he establishes this connection, the better he is able to understand himself. The forest which he is too afraid to delve too deeply within could be representative of how he fears his own thoughts, relating to the prophesy, the question of whether he is truly free, and of how to truly live. There is also an intriguing allusion to the second World War once again in the book Kafka reads about the trial of Hitler's engineer of the extermination plans of the Jews during the Holocaust. This theme may be reappearing not only as a commentary by Murakami on the negative impact Westernisation has had on the traditional values of Japan, but also serves as a reminder that time is not lost as it passes.
On a side note, Oshima is haemophilliac. Seeing as the mention of this in the context of the novel ties in with the theme of blood, it must have some sort of greater significance. As bloodshed up to this point seems to represent the loss of innocence, perhaps it reflects Oshima's innocence as a character, but also how he is vulnerable to other people. This could tie into his secret.
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