Both Nelson and the narrator seem to have a strong fear of being anything like their own same-sex parent. How does this play out in their relationship with each other and how much conflict does it generate with each other and within themselves?

One of the main themes in the story is the way women lose or fear losing their own identity and power when they fall in love with a man. The narrator is particularly determined not to fall victim to this, yet she remains a nameless character in the book. Why do you think the author chose to leave his main character completely anonymous?

Nelson explains to the narrator early in the book that what usually makes projects like Tsau fail is that the people it is designed to benefit eventually become tired of accepting someone else's idea of what is best...