The Eye of Minds

Throughout his quest on the Path, Michael frequently notes the ways in which he is plagued by hunger, thirst, or other forms of physical discomfort, which speaks to The Tensions Between Appearance and Reality. The novel’s reveal that Michael is a Tangent whom Kaine is testing for suitability for human life highlights how the challenges of the Path were specifically designed to encourage these physical discomforts, which are an inherent part of human life but not inherent to digital consciousness. Michael is extremely attentive to his physical discomfort and mentions it far more frequently than either Bryson or Sarah, foreshadowing that these sensations are atypical for Michael. Michael’s ability to continue down the Path despite these discomforts suggests that he will be able to function successfully after he has been given a body, as per the Mortality Doctrine.

The novel’s final line references Michael’s hunger, suggesting the importance of embodied sensations to his new life in a human body. This final reference amidst the chaos of Michael’s newfound reality suggests that the limitations of living in a human body will be extremely important in his battle against Kaine in the next installments in the series.