I came across an interesting thesis by Ida Mayer called "Dreaming in Isolation: Magical Realism in Modern Japanese Literature" while exploring Murakami's heavy use of isolation in both short stories and novels. We've talked a lot about isolation and loneliness in class, both physically and emotionally prevalent in Murakami characters. Before entering another world, characters must often go through long periods of isolation (and monotony) where they become completely removed from societal responsibilities or commotion.
Murakami says that when he is writing, the characters live inside of him like a kind of cosmos (The Paris Review). He also provides this illuminating metaphor about the writing process, which might explain his strict daily routine: "Every day I go to my study and sit at my desk and put the computer on. At that moment, I have to open the door. It's a big, heavy door. You have to go into the Other Room. Metaphorically, of course. And you have to come back to this side of the room. And you have to shut the door. So it's literally physical strength to open and shut the door. So if I lose that strength, I cannot write a novel any more." (The Guardian)
Mayer's thesis explores how isolation facilitates dreams. With Murakami, we know that actions taken in dreams often translate to real life. So why does being alone make it possible to visit other worlds, or the cosmos in one's subconscious? According to Mayer, "There is a supernatural element in Murakami’s work, but equally important is the ordinary world, so the supernatural element in Murakami’s literature, in turn, empower[s] the hidden aspects of ordinary life, which nobody really cares [about]. The dreams serve to highlight the overlooked elements of the mundane world, which the authors argue are both crucial and ignored."
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