Ghosts and Guilt

The author uses this theme as a representation of guilt for both Paul and Jonathan, and to create an atmosphere in which reality is porous and several characters are capable of seeing each other, or the dead, through space and time. These apparitions are often meant to signify the web of interconnectivity that unites these characters through their seemingly fated meetings and interactions with one another.

Paul and Jonathan both see ghosts that are clearly manifestations of the harm they have done and the remorse associated with that harm. Paul sees the ghost of Charlie Wu on the dance floor in Vancouver shortly after his death because he feels guilty for having given Charlie the ecstasy that killed him. At the end of Chapter 2 when this occurs, the author provides a brief glimpse into the future, as Paul tells a counselor that this was...