7. Want is the author trying to say about the human condition? Is his message one of despair, one of hope, or one of resignation? Give examples.

The structure of the novel hints at the continuity and rebirth of life, which to me, means a message of hope. Each chapter builds towards the next, and, even though the time and the place are different, the challenges and feelings of the characters are surprisingly similar. In addition, despite considerable odds, the story and/or work of all of the main characters survives in the end. Mankind, too, survives Mitchell's doomsday scenario, albeit in a much more primitive mode.