Essay Questions

How is the theme of isolation tackled in the narrative?

The characters in the novel, both real and imagined, live profoundly lonely lives and this is but one of their unifying characteristics. The theme of isolation and loneliness is tackled through the use of quirky humor manifested in the truly bizarre coping mechanism of the protagonist Benna where she develops deep personal ties with characters that she has dreamed up for herself. Like a child she dreams up not just an imaginary friend to drink with but she also conjures up an imaginary neighbor as well as an imaginary daughter. Ironically, this coping method seems to work out surprisingly well for her as she finds immense fulfillment in mothering and raising an imaginary child.

What is the significance of Benna’s imaginary child?

Benna’s fictitious daughter is more than just her means of coping with the crippling isolation that permeates her life; it is also a means for her to cope with the guilt of having gone through an abortion. The act of raising an imaginary daughter is also her means of affirming her femininity and an avenue in which she is able to explore the possibility of the life that could have been had she not abandoned motherhood; in this regard her imaginary daughter represents both hope and redemption for Benna.

What is the significance of Anagrams in the narrative?

Anagrams are word games involving the rearranging of letter sequences in order to form new words. This game is something that Benna enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and to a large extent a metaphor for her life. When Benna makes decisions that result in tragedy, rather than face up to the new reality she is faced with she just dreams up a completely fictional new set of characters to help her make sense of her current situation—quite possibly also to keep her sanity intact—in much the same way a person playing with anagrams might do: rearrange elements of what is available in order to make something new but not too far removed from the original.