Meaning

Meaning is the singular most dominant and overarching theme in Dave Eggers's novel, A Hologram for the King. Meaning involves the search for purpose, for the reason for existence. Meaning is especially important to Alan, and meaning appears in two different ways to him, though he is only fully cognizant of one meaning.

Alan travels to Saudi Arabia because he is looking to secure his finances and pay for his daughter's college education. This provides his most immediate meaning, the thing which drives him and propels him. He has tied his identity to his career as most men do, and his business successes and failures translate to his self-confidence and his self-worth. But even despite the purpose ahead of him, Alan wonders what his purpose is beyond the potential sale. His search takes on a greater metaphysical dimension as he realizes that work and material things alone do...