The Futility of One Life and the Impact of a Single Life on Others

Throughout the novel, several of the characters ponder the futility of their lives. Pasquale recognizes how little impact one life can have on the world. He feels insignificant in his little village, realizing that no matter what he does, nothing will be left in another decade or more. Pat Bender also finds himself struggling to make a name for himself, to create a legacy that will forever be remembered. However, when he is abandoned in Scotland, he begins to look around himself and realize that it is the desire of all men to build themselves up, but eventually no one will remember the individual, just the artifacts that remain. Dee Moray also worries about her impact on the world, but she finds herself more focused on the idea of knowing where her story...