8 Haruki Murakami Tropes And What They Really Mean

2. Stories Within Stories

What It Is: A story within a story is just that: a story told within another story. Remember in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle when Lieutenant Mamiya tells Toru the lengthy tale of the Japanese occupation of Manchukuo? Or when Tengo reads a short piece called Town Of Cats in 1Q84? Perfect examples of stories within stories. What It Really Means: Stories within stories create a stronger sense of the world €“ by removing the action from within the world of the novel, it defines more clearly the sense of that world. What this really means is that for stories to be told they have to have happened, or been thought up, and if the reader hasn't witnessed this process first-hand then it creates the impression of a living, breathing world.

On top of that, stories within stories commonly reflect aspects of the central narrative. Sometimes they're meant to generate a certain feeling or tone. Often times they will evoke a reaction from the protagonist, like when Lieutenant Mamiya's tale prompts Toru to descend into a deep well.