The Candy House

What is the significance of including so many characters in this novel? How do their interactions as well as their characterizations illuminate Egan’s themes?

How do Bix’s struggles with memory and connection inspire him to create Own Your Unconscious? What steps does Bix go through to achieve this vision? Through Bix’s subplot, what is Egan saying about the nature of progress?

Miranda Kline looms over the events and characters of this novel, though she is not given her own point of view. Her story is told through the perspective of her daughter and of the society that admires her. What does Miranda’s importance on the characters, coupled with the lack of her perspective, symbolize? Who is Miranda Kline in the scheme of this novel? Why does she ultimately disappear as an eluder?

Why does Roxy access her father’s memories? What does this access do for her? Explain and analyze Egan’s message about memories through Roxy’s disappointing dive into the past.

What does Miles’s character development throughout Part 1 reveal about the importance of flexibility within identity? What concept(s) does Miles symbolize?

What does Lulu’s character development throughout Part 3 reveal about the importance of identity and family?

If you had to pick, which would you choose to use: Mondrian or Mandala? Explain your reasoning.

In your own opinion, what are the benefits and dangers of social media and online technological advancement? Use both examples from the text and research on real-life technologies.