Work Consuming Personal Life

One of the dangers of modern life that the novel repeatedly examines is the danger of one’s professional life consuming one’s personal life. Candace’s story arc is the primary platform for this examination, as her unhealthy relationship with her unfulfilling job appears responsible for much of her personal unhappiness. Candace’s first job after college is as a project manager at Spectra, and although this job satisfies none of her creative interests, she remains in it because of its stability. Her obsession with maintaining job stability is so overpowering that even after most New Yorkers have deserted the city amid Shen Fever panic, Candace remains in the city and working at her job. She states in narration, “By November [2011], I had moved into the Spectra offices” (262). This moment in the plot symbolizes the literal erasure of all aspects of Candace...