One issue worth discussing is how broadly the satire of More Die of Heartbreak reaches. Do the sexual and love elements apply to human beings universally or to only certain groups of human beings such as middle-aged men, upperclass Americans, or academics? Symbolism is a major aspect of the narrative, suggesting Bellow's intentions when composing the narrative. Names, places, and plants usually have meanings beyond themselves—they represent comments on characters and events that the characters themselves cannot make—only the otherwise hidden hand of the author can make them.

Comparisons of More Die of Heartbreak to other novels by Bellow should be approached cautiously. It is very easy to slip into discussing a Bellow novel other than the one everyone read for a group's discussion, and a discussion can quickly become diffuse as a discussion gets lost in other narratives. Even so, if...