Connections

One of the predominant themes of Tropic of Orange is that all things and all people are connected. Though few of the characters consciously realize it, they all live in the same world and they are all connected by the same needs and external forces. Ideas of separation, differences, and distance are artificial constructs invented by people either to preserve positions of privilege or to make understanding the world and groups easier.

The novel begins with seven separate protagonists. In the beginning only a couple of these principal characters have any sort of connection, but as the novel progresses a web is formed linking and interlinking each and every character. Some characters, such as Gabriel, at times serve as a hub, but in Gabriel's physical absence other characters step in to fulfill this function. At times it can be Emi and at other times it can be Buzzworm...