Leaves of Grass

Leaves of Grass is a recurring symbol that represents the human urge to explore the nature of life and humanity through language. Leaves of Grass is a renowned book of poetry by American poet Walt Whitman, and quotations from the book appear repeatedly in each of the novel’s three stories. The characters of Lucas, Cat, and Simon the simulo find themselves repeatedly confronted with the poetry, and they struggle to interpret it as related to the meanings of society and of their own lives.

The Bowl

The recurring image of a bowl symbolizes both the necessity and the challenges of interpersonal connection. In each of the three stories, the bowl arises as a symbol of a salient yet troubled relationship. In the story In the Machine, Lucas buys a bowl as a gift for Catherine, whom he seems to secretly love despite her...