The Happenstance Nature of Life

One of the major themes in the book is the happenstance nature of life. Events often unfold and without warning, to sudden, often profound outcomes throughout the novel. Allan experiences many sudden twists of fate in his 100 years of life.

For example, when he is a boy, Allan's father goes to Russia to fight for the socialist revolution. His father stakes off a tiny plot of land and claims it is the New Russia, provoking his own death by soldiers when they try to move him. From a young age, Allan sees that had his father not followed the socialist cause so completely, he would never have been in Russia to be killed in the first place. This event changes the way Allan views the world and politics, and as a result, he vows as an adult never to get caught up...