Consider the quote from p. 52 - specifically, the reference to the missing "I". Discuss the symbolic and/or metaphorical and/or emotional meaning of the missing letter.

Consider the quotes from p. 72 and p. 104-105. Discuss how both relate to the story of the novel: In what ways are the narrator's contemplation of his past, and indeed that past itself, a preparation for the moment of his death? Debate the general philosophical value of the two quotes: Is life a preparation for death? What is the value and/or purpose of such a lengthy preparation? Is death a conclusion, or a beginning? On the other hand, does the habit of living indeed make dying harder?

Consider the revelation late in the novel, fifty pages from its conclusion (see "Quotes," p. 149) that the narrator drinks heavily. To what extent does this call into question his...