The universe as a lonely void

The author uses this theme to symbolize the vast unknowable qualities of life. The two protagonists hunger to learn and understand the depths of the universe, a desire that has left them both lonely and dissatisfied. Both Sully and Augustine are scientists who have devoted their lives to studying the universe, and both feel regret at having sacrificed many aspects of their personal lives to do so. Over the course of the novel, they both come to the realization that aspects of life available to them on Earth – love, family, connection – are perhaps just as important, if not more important, than the mysteries of far-flung galaxies.

Shortly after introducing Augustine, the author explains that “only the cosmos inspired great feeling in him” and that “his was an all-consuming one-directional romance with the emptiness and the fullness of the entire universe” (7). It...