Uncertainty of the Future

Although there are several instances throughout the novel where characters are seemingly able to look into the future, the novel powerfully emphasizes the inherent nature of uncertainty in human lives, and therefore the drama of the novel still reflects essential dramas in the human experience. One character that strongly manifests this dynamic is Barney Mayerson. Barney has precognitive abilities, meaning he can view the events of the future with varying degrees of uncertainty. However, his own experiences are still governed by uncertainty. At the beginning of the novel, he is disoriented and at first has no recollection of the events of the previous night: “Barney Mayerson woke to find himself in an unfamiliar bedroom…‘Where am I?’” (1). Moreover, he is uncertain whether or not he will be able to avoid being drafted into a colony. Barney’s precognitive abilities are of little use...