Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 20

Everything that happens to Toru has been influenced by his past actions or meetings. His experiences with people and the events of his past and present are currently shaping his future without any control by him. Fate is guiding him down a path that he is not even aware he's taking yet. The element water has been present his entire life, but any association with it has giving a negative effect on him. The element wind is not as freeing as it's supposed to be because when air shows up in the story it's usually about something or someone being stuck somewhere--grounded.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 19

A light drizzle of snow falls during the time Kumiko's abortion. Snow representing purity was described in an unpleasant imagery, which could hint at the dismay Toru felt and the topic of abortion. The snow was defiled, there was no more innocence left. Earlier Toru also realized that his innocence was gone after his first abortion.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 18

When Toru is in a bar in Sobbaru he comes across a singer who says that other people can feel the pain of others by making it their pain. The concept of empathy; however, Creta Kano was someone who experienced great pain and decided that no one understood how she felt. The way the singer talks about feeling what other people feel, Creta can be seen to be self-absorbed believing that the people around her don't know pain, when the pain she feels they feel. They want to share the pain and joy with others. The chance meeting of the musician and Toru may have been destiny and not luck.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 17

Kumiko and Toru's first date happens to be at the aquarium. Whenever Toru is associated with the element of water something wrong happens. During the jellyfish exhibit he becomes ill due to a past experience. When he was young he got lost in a school of jellyfish in the ocean.

Light no matter where it has shown up for Toru has given him relief and comfort. Knowing that the light is there makes Toru calm in any situation. THe light dissolves his fears and darkness.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 16

Mr. Honda predicted that Toru would need to climb to the highest place or go down to the bottom of the well. Toru goes all the way down the well at the vacant house. He experiences a less intense light than Mamiya, but he could understand that the light ruled over everything in the darkness.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 15

Mamiya starts to more and more resemble Creta Kano as the story progresses. He experiences great pain, and believed that him dying would be the ultimate bliss that he'd been searching for. This is more than coincidence between these two characters. I'm not sure if their connection has anything significant behind it or if they just have similar backstories.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 14

When Toru manages to think of his week, he realizes that the Wind-up bird hasn't been present for awhile. The Wind-up bird "winds the spring of their little world." The bird helped start the day of correctly, but there was an imbalance. The flow was changed and the bird was their to correct it. Toru's recent misgivings can have to do with the change of flow.