Topic 1

What do the belongings that accumulate on the table mean? Why is the tortoise in both story lines? Why is there a Gus in the present storyline and an Augustus in the past? How do these things impact the narrative flow of the play?

Topic 2

What is the conflict between Classicism or Enlightenment and Romanticism is the novel? Which characters are classicists and which are romantics? Do they remain that way throughout the narrative of the play? Which side is presented as the most appealing?

Topic 3

Does the play suggest intuition or evidence as the more dependable basis for knowledge and conclusion? Are there examples of the characters claiming to have evidence when they really only have instinct? Are there examples of characters following their intuition to discover evidence?

Topic 4

Does fate or free will win in the end? Do you think that the universe can...