Compare and contrast the various domestic spaces in the novel, such as the historic Malibu house, Lauren and Leo’s walkup in Brooklyn, their West Hollywood bungalow, or the abandoned “Greek” house. How does the contrast between settings help illuminate characters’ internal conflicts?

Consider Sylvia and Marcella’s perspectives on their silver tickets. How do their respective choices reveal their approaches to motherhood? How do their differences allow Serle to explore The Tension Between Control and Acceptance?

How do the parallel struggles of Lauren’s infertility and Dave’s declining heart condition allow Serle to explore the limits of human intervention against biological reality?

How does the silver ticket’s single-use limitation contribute to the novel’s thematic exploration of The Illusory Nature of Second Chances?

Compare the role of the ocean in Once and Again and compare it to another novel that incorporates the ocean as a central motif or symbol such as Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore or Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News?

Analyze Stone’s role within the narrative. What purpose does his reappearance serve in Lauren arc? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Dave and Leo are presented as kind, supportive figures who exist outside the family’s matrilineal circle. How do their perspectives serve as foils to the Novak women’s experiences? In what ways do their reactions to crisis challenge the premises established by the silver ticket?

How does the novel’s ambiguous final scene, in which Lauren uses the ticket to fix a burnt cake, serve as commentary on its central themes? Discuss at least two potential interpretations of this act and argue for the one you find most compelling based on Lauren’s character arc.