Ben’s Home in Seattle

Ben’s home is the setting of the beginning and the end of the novel and it symbolizes the fact that Ben has come full circle on his journey. The physical realities of Ben’s home and the fact that everything is exactly as he left it when he returns belies the fact that his entire worldview and sense of self has changed since the last time he set foot in this location.

Italy

Ben is sent to Italy as a young man to fight in World War II. It is a location of trauma for Ben due to the poverty, death, and destruction that he encounters while he is there. However, it is also a setting that inspires Ben when he witnesses his friend Bill Stackhouse being brought back to life by a field surgeon, an event which makes Ben decide that he...