Our Infinite Fates

How does the novel’s depiction of Nature’s Apathy to Human Pain intersect with its depiction of the Mother, who feeds off suffering?

Explore and analyze how Steven uses foreshadowing to hint at the revelations in the text’s final chapters. What clues does she provide in the text, and what do they point toward?

Discuss the significance of the Mother’s name. What connotations does the word “mother” have? How does her characterization uphold or subvert these, and to what end?

Analyze the changes in perspective between the third and first person. In what ways do these changes contribute to the text?

Why might Steven have chosen to present the flashback chapters in nonchronological order? What are the effects of this choice? How does it add to the text’s mood?

How does Arden’s character change during and after Siberia? How do his experiences in Siberia impact his behavior in El Salvador, and why? How do his experiences in El Salvador influence the choices he makes in Wales? How do these changes support the novel’s overall themes?

There are a few places in the text where Steven uses Evelyn as a mouthpiece for some social commentary. Find and analyze three of these moments: What is the commentary? How is it supported by the text?

Locate at least six moments in which Evelyn addresses readers directly. Analyze these moments and explain how they contribute to the text’s mood and Evelyn’s characterization.