One-Way Love/Another Road
Summed up simply by K., Sumire is in love with Myu, K. with Sumire, and Carrot's mom with K. These ongoing accounts of unrequited love transcend Murakami's novel, emphasized multiple times throughout the book. When Sumire finally tries to make love with Myu, she faces rejection, for Myu's mind loves Sumire but it is not her body's desire. Likewise, when K. has intercourse with Carrot's mom, he undeniably imagines that Sumire is there with him.
Murakami, through his indirect metaphorical language, insists that there is another road—when love is one-way, in another world it is two-way. When the story of the cat disappearing from the tree is first brought up by Sumire, we see two indirect ideas: Sumire was clawing at something that was nonexistent and you cherish something when it leaves.
Murakami, however, says that another road exists. In the final pages of the book, the author receives a call from Sumire, and as the reader we know this means that like Sumire who met the other half of Myu when she moved into another world, K. to moved into a world where he can love Sumire.
Creating Societal Conformity
Another huge theme stressed by the author is a lack of cohesion, in society, family, life, etc. This theme is emphasized by the characters of K., Sumire, Carrot, and Carrot's mother each in their specific ways.
K. grew up as one who didn't fit in with his family. He tells Carrot and the reader that he felt as if a distant relative left him with his parents—he in no way resembled his sister and parents in terms of ideology. As K. grows up, the problem resolves as he explores the world around him, and he takes this knowledge and applies it to Carrot.
Carrot struggles with the problem of theft—shoplifting for whatever reason. Towards the end of the book, Carrot's mother (K.'s girlfriend) calls him to meet with the security guard that caught him. Through K.'s knowledge and storytelling ability, he solves the problem.
Carrot's mother is married and has a child who is not related to K. K. realizes the problems that are being caused by his relationship and for the sake of his conscience and Carrot, he drops the sexual relationship for societal conformity.
The last example is Sumire, a fun-loving, homosexual, eccentric writer who is passionate for music and writing. As the story progresses, we see her changing, slowly leaving behind her old self and conforming more to society (except her love for Myu, the book's major conflict) which might seem like the best but eventually led to her deterioration.
The Mystic
The mystic is a theme explored deeply in this book, chapter by chapter, dream by dream. As with Sumire, sometimes to convey the theme to the reader Murakami distorts the bridge between reality and illusion.
The main idea is that in many ways the world of dreams connects to that of the real world. A great example of this is the "illusion/iteration" of Fernando and Myu and the graying of the hair. This is the most unreasonable event that happens in the book, but goes to show how the conscience, how the mystic, can change reality and change what once was colorful to pale white.
