Is Linda presented as a sympathetic character? Why or why not? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your answer.

The novel opens by directly referencing Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (1851). With this touchstone in mind, contrast Linda from Captain Ahab to better qualify the nature of her obsession.

Does Karina’s final embrace of “SURRENDER” represent a healthy rejection of toxic positivity, or is it merely a different form of capitulation to forces beyond her control? Explain your answer.

How does Folk employ dark humor and surrealism to explore taboo desires and psychological distress? Analyze specific scenes where the bizarre premise leads to insights about human connection.

How does Folk use the setting of Acuity to comment on corporate responsibility in the tech industry? Does she argue for the wholesale abolition of organizations like Acuity, or does she make any qualifications for their continued existence?

Pick one of the novel’s recurring settings, like the airport secure section or the Elephant Bar, and discuss how it externalizes the characters’ psychological states of isolation and desire?

Use at least three examples from the novel to analyze how the vision boards fail to deliver on their promises and instead function as tools for social policing, competition, and self-deception.

How does the novel use the tension between Linda’s fatalism and her meticulous planning to question the relationship between destiny and agency?