Happiness

[Suzanne]

Lots of the plot feels familiar, but what I like is the protagonist's take on meaning and happiness through it all. She sticks with herself in the midst of the crumbling.

[Jim]

That's an interesting thought. From the beginning, she's self contained and every attempt to connect to others never really pans out for her. There's nothing really malicious in the relationships she has with her various family members , but ultimately they can't really help her and she's on her own against the forces that can't be overcome. It's a good metaphor for all of life, I suppose. So is this the "message of the book?" When all else fails, we still have our selves? And we should be happy in our selves? It's hard to see much positivity in what happens in this book, so maybe the book's emphasis on "self reliance" is it. Each of us alone must fight our own battle with the evil empire. The only ally we truly have is our self. I hadn't thought about the book that way before your comment. I'd been focused more on the crazies working against the main character and I like thinking instead about how she's as internally strong against them as any person could be.

[Suzanne]

It may be a female perspective I'm identifying.