Meaning and Purpose

The novel uses the Crosby residents’ intersecting storylines in order to explore the ways in which every individual’s life has meaning and purpose. The author introduces this thematic exploration within the opening paragraph of Book 1, Chapter 1 by way of Bob Burgess’s character and storyline. The narrator asserts that “like many of us, [Bob] does not know himself as well as he assumes to, and he would never believe he had anything worthy in this life to document” (3). In spite of this conviction, the narrator argues that he does live a worthy life because “we all do” (3). This opening assertion therefore implies that all of the novel’s characters often feel insignificant or unworthy of love. Indeed, Bob is not the only character who lives with loneliness, trauma, disappointment, and despair. However, his sorrow is always paired with love, which gives his and...