The Nature and Meaning of Endings

Different sorts of endings are at the narrative and thematic core of this book. The events in the life of protagonist Dorothy, and her contemplations of those events, are all connected to experiences of different aspects of her life coming to a conclusion. Those experiences include pregnancies (both hers and that of her friend Gaby), dreams (of academic success), and even the world. The last is referenced more in terms of the end of society, rather than in terms of the planet being physically destroyed. Nevertheless, Dorothy’s awareness, or fear, of impending socio-cultural-economic-environmental collapse is part of her overall perception that life in general, and her life in particular, is primarily defined by what is no longer, rather than by what is or what could be.

A key point to note about the narrative’s consideration of the nature and...