Airplane Crashes

Black box recordings from crashed airplanes become representative, in the novel, of the human need to discover the cause of a disaster. It also emphasizes the inadequacy of traditional cause-and-effect analysis discern the reasons behind catastrophes. Herman expresses the opinion that a black box is not really effective, because it only begins recording once the plane is in the air and in jeopardy. This sentiment translates to the events of the novel itself, in the examination of the disappearance of Jan Landzaat.

The Death of Elders

The number of dead or dying teachers and parents in the novel serves to accentuate the inevitability of mortality and to create a further distinction between the older and younger generations. This is signified by the somewhat naive title of Herman and David’s films of their elders’ dull existences, “Life Before Death” (241). To the young members of a...