Mr. Y: The End of Part 1: Chp 5 - 8

[Andrew, Wound Up]

***Open discussion of chapters 5-8 below, no spoilers needed. Be sure you have read through chapter 8 before reading! Note: if this is your first visit to this topic I recommend you read this post about discussion ideas, then skip down and post your initial response, then read and respond to other people's posts.***

At the very least check in here when you finish chapter 8 and tell us if you are enjoying the book. I'll post specific discussion ideas below, along with some general topics we'll see repeated throughout the book.

Chapter 5-8 discussions:

1) Have you found any repeated themes or symbols that you believe will have an ongoing impact on the story?

2) What do you think will happen to Mr. Y in the last chapter of the book (the possibly cursed book)?

General Discussions:

1) Share your favorite quote(s) from this section.

2) Do you have a favorite or most intriguing character at this point in the novel?


Location reminder

If you are returning to this topic after having continued past chapter 8, here is a plot reminder:

Ariel has found the missing page and read the end of Mr. Y (we do not know what occurred in the final chapter yet). She is contemplating making the tincture.

GO!

[Michelle, Overrun By Pets]

I have been noticing a number of repeated themes and symbols throughout the story so far.
MICE - possibly a representation of humans who are too focused on day to day worries and have not reached their full potential as of yet. From the book "because a higher power, even a cruel one, gives us meaning in a way we can't give meaning to ourselves" and "release the mice".
WHITE CORRIDORS- self exploration, starting a new chapter in life.
DARK TUNNELS with various forms of light - a mysterious journey into the unknown, they always remind me of sci-fi and "wormholes".
COLORS - there also seems to be multiple color references of black, pink and blue.
SYMBOLS- there were all kinds of symbols referenced on Mr. Y's tunnel travel - it seemed like man's major thoughts/accomplishments/communication methods represented from all different time frames gathered in a trippy-white light 60's way...I can hear Jefferson Airplane singing now.

My guess will be based on the last chapter of the book Ariel is reading (not the outer book last chapter of which we still have many chapters to read). I think Mr. "Y" finds answers to his "why" questions and will be able to move on to a more enlightened state of being. While in the Troposphere he states "The greedy desire I now felt to solve the far bigger mystery with which I had been presented: where was I and how had I come to be there?" I hope he will be able to overcome personal issues that are limiting him in life. Instead of seeking revenge on Mr. Clemency, Mr. Y will understand the larger truths connecting us to each other and the universe and will subsequently feel mercy/understanding towards Mr. Clemency and others he perceives as having slighted him.

My favorite quotes in this section are "each footprint in the snow a record of a further step towards my own downfall, the oblivion that faced me" it adds such drama and intensity to the scene of Mr. Y leaving the fair-ground doctor with the elixir recipe. I also like "it looks like the kind of place you'd come to only when you'd retired or given up life in some other way." One of my favorite parts of this section of story was when Ariel was attempting to hack into Saul's computer "The last time I did this I pretended I was in a film and confidently typed in several guesses before realizing that it was a stupid idea."

My favorite character at this point in the book is Ariel. She is a great combination of reckless youth and too-smart-for-their-own-good young adult. I love the quote "I ignore the fact that Patrick's voice is weird, and that this is a stupid idea". I enjoyed her description of campus at the start of the school year "it's as if the confusion leaks out of everyone's minds and infects everyone else." I am excited to hear the synopsis of the last chapter of the book through Ariel's perspective and the start of her own trippy journey.

[Andrew, Wound Up]

I continue to be amazed by Thomas' ability to write such a readable story that is near-overfilled with dense information. Almost all the characters are imbued with a level of intrigue that is driving me to read on with disregard for my book group duties!

Themes/Symbols: Ooooh, I love this question!

Mice: Maybe they analogize Mice:Human vs Human:4th dimension entities. Or they are vessels for people stuck in the Troposphere who are trying to communicate with Ariel.

Tunnels: Usually dark tunnels being overrode by white, sometimes white tunnels described as being "whitewashed". Obviously the big one was experienced by Mr. Y when he first entered the Troposphere. If anyone has insight into the symbols he saw during that "trip" I'd love to hear them! Also of note are the white tunnels Ariel keeps finding herself in. While walking to the university she also went through a railway tunnel (chapter 7). And we can't forget the original calamity occurred because of a tunnel! Wait wait, there's more - the tunnel of a telescopes view, with the encroaching light of stars, as described in the section on Olbers's Paradox.

I sense the tunnels are quite important, and somehow represent truth or knowledge, but I can't quite put my finger on it yet.

Death of Knowledge: The storys main recurring theme seems to be dead knowledge. There are simply too many examples of outdated philosophies, scams, and misinformation leading people astray to even begin dissecting them. Ariel says "It's as if the confusion leaks out of everyone's minds and infects everyone else." Ariel almost seems to want a world where everything is able to be true, especially if the creator of the idea is passionate in it's defense.

Speculating on Y: I think he gets stuck in the Troposphere and has to keep trying to escape via other people's consciousness (ergo the curse). Maybe Mr. Y takes over or joins other consciousnesses, allowing him/them a type of eternal and joined life? When Ariel joins it could be "The End" because she would signify the beginning of "Ms. Y".

I think this fits the recurring theme (I knew I missed one earlier!) of sexuality. Multiple men sharing a single consciousness and body (and alternate plane) for over a century. I wonder how they'll react when a female makes her way into their private gentleman's club?

Quotes: "I must say your purse is a little queer, Mr. Y."

And from the same encounter, Mr. Y is troubled by a relatively wimpy demon: All at once I felt some demon seize possession of me, and I was overcome by an urge to reach across the table and rip the paper from his hand.

The website error They shut me up and I went away." I get the sense that people who actually find the book simply don't want others to join them. A fake conspiracy conspiring to keep others from discovering the truth.

Finally, and I know these are in reverse order, Ariel being pushed over the edge by having new office mates and complaining Will they want to bring potted plants? It's all too much to think about.

Character: Edgar Allen Poe. Growing up I was taught about his dark poetry. Why didn't my teachers go into more detail about this amazing and mysterious gentleman?

Overall: I'm so excited to keep moving forward! The rabbit trails continue... I've downloaded and started skimming Zoology and I'm almost down with Poe's essay Mesmeric Revelations. I've also found a stride with the quiz and should have some more questions posted tonight.