Explain how chance and fate have played a part in the lives of the four main characters. Was it fate that brought them together? If so, how did it change their lives?

What does the camera lens see in the six pictures of each "plate?" What doesn't it see?

What does each character need individually in order to survive?

As Inkerman looms on the horizon, and in the time leading up to it, how does each person go about ensuring their survival?

What are some of the haphazard actions that happen in the novel, and what are their effects?

From a moral standpoint, would you consider the outcome of this novel to be fair? Did each character get his or her "just desserts?"