The Infinite Sea

Analyze one internal and one external conflict that Ringer faces in the text. Are these conflicts resolved? How do their resolutions (or lack thereof) impact Ringer’s character?

How does Ringer transform throughout the novel, both physically and emotionally? Do you believe she gains or loses more through this transformation? What does this reflect about the idea of what it means to be human?

What parallels exist between the love between Ringer and Razor and the love between Cassie and Evan? What do these parallels suggest about how love makes people both stronger and more vulnerable?

Read H.G. Wells’s 1898 novel The War of the Worlds. In what ways are the alien invaders similar? How are they different? What does this reflect about how ideas of power and control have changed between the late 19th century and today?

What role does isolation play in the novel, both physically and emotionally? Discuss at least two characters who struggle with isolation. How does this struggle impact their development?

In what ways is Cassie a foil to Ben with regard to their relationship with the other members of their group? What does this difference reveal about the ideas of human connection and leadership?

In the absence of society, how do the children in the group help to ensure each other’s survival? How do they redefine and recreate the idea of family? Are they with each other more out of necessity or because they care for each other? Support your answer by discussing specific scenes in the text.

How does Yancey use a first-person point of view to balance action and suspense with emotional impact? What effects does this POV have on the story’s tone and on its narrative structure?