Initially after reading The Strange Library, I was left feeling confused and rather creeped out by the story. However after coming to class and hearing the theory that the story may be based upon the descent into the mind; the story seemed to make more sense. The mom would represent society's rules and regulations, the sheepman would represent the bridge between the superego and id and the old man would represent the over-bearing super-ego and the starling is like a light for freedom. When Boku is trying to escape from the prison, he is running through a maze, representing the complexities of the human mind. I wonder if this book may also be reflective of Murakami's subconsciousness, as if there are elements of himself trapped in the depths of his conscious that he draws from (i.e when the old man states he'd eat Boku's brains after Boku finishes reading all the books).
The dog that bites Boku reminds me of when shepherds use dogs to herd in the sheep and have them go into a specific direction; especially when the old man whips the sheepman, it seems to that he is a shepherd trying to control his sheep. The dog is a symbol of instilling fear, the sheep does what the shepherd wants because the dog scares the sheep into doing so-- reflecting how people act in certain ways due to fear of consequences.
When the story ends with Boku leaving his shoes behind when he returns home, I think it means that the effects of the unconscious/subconscious can also effect reality as well.
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