Summary

In "An Ant," couple Eliza and Rachel talk about thought experiments. Rachel asks Eliza if she were a thought experiment, which would she be. Eliza says Rachel would be "Hume's Missing Shade of Blue" (2).

The narrator explains Pascal's Wager, the thought experiment centered on the individual's belief or disbelief in God. Pascal argued everyone must decide one way or the other.

The narrative shifts back to Eliza and Rachel. Before bed, Rachel complains about the resurgence of an ant infestation. She thinks Eliza made her switch sides on the bed because the ants are crawling along the baseboard near her. "Eliza had not deliberately changed sides because of the insects but now she would have to prove that she cared enough to fix the problem" (6). She considers calling the pest controller, Mr. Kargin. Ever since Eliza showed hesitancy about having...