The Concept of Reunion
Egan presents several reunions throughout the text; the safari members meet again, but find that they have nothing much in common, and Bennie's former bandmates reunite over his mentor's illness and witness how planned changes actually occurred. The concept of "findability" is presented as a character trait in the case of Scotty, the former bandmate who cannot be tracked down for this reunion, and it is presented as an indicator of age that distinguishes the younger members of the safari from the older ones.
Allegory of Burn Party
One big event in the novel is a party gone awry. This party was elaborate and breathtaking, but it ended in a conflagration that leaves scars on its many guests. The lasting image of this party on their bodies is different than Scotty's eye damage, which he inflicts deliberately based on a day of sorrow. This helps him keep time and reminds him of his mother, but the burns serves as indicators of a publicist's fall from glory instead of the status symbol of presence at an exclusive party.
Motif of Music
The novel centers on music; even its cover shows musicians. We see music as active, changing, and different even from one year to the next. Egan presents realities about the music industry through a motif structure instead of through straightforward details. The motif of music shows us that someone ages out of the music industry once they no longer appreciate the advances in collective taste which occur from year to year and even month to month.
Symbol of Sasha's Bathtub
Sasha showers at the gym and is apologetic about how she never uses this instance of traditional New York City apartment life when talking to the plumber who comes to fix a leak. However, she is beyond the point of wanting to bathe in it. Her date, who is young and new to New York, wants to do so and feel like a traditional New Yorker. She lets him, and Egan shows the reader how the symbol of Sasha's bathtub takes on more lasting meaning to him than the real character of Sasha.
Motif of Unrequited Love
Bennie’s younger days include a complicated situation in which everyone in his band wants to be with someone else, and none of the love interests reciprocate the feelings. Scotty makes the decision to be with Alice, who wants to date him; the other characters markedly do not ever get the chance to be in a relationship with the object of their lust. This lack of decisive action connects to the concept of inaction, which we see when the band is harassed onstage. The feelings of unrequited love are present even for the non-performing members of the band, who do not intervene.
