Individual versus society

The battle between the individual versus society wages throughout the text to emphasize the human drive for social validation.

The narrator consistently expresses disdain for societal institutions and norms. She diminishes college to a “pretty close second” to death (17). She critiques commercialism through her language. For instance, she objectifies the citizens of Taiwan as “manufactured and canned” (11) to yield a profit. In one crocodile scene, a masquerade is ruined when the sponsor is unveiled: A corporate entity to capitalize from new human suits. She critiques marriage and the nuclear family by likening life to “a chess game” in which only “punching” babies out fills in the squares on the board (47). When discussing society, she alludes to games and profits in contrast to the love and art that speak to her. She also critiques the media. In the crocodile scenes, mainstream media outlets play the...