How does the destruction of Buenos Aires shape this novel?

How does the war between the Russo-Anglo-American Alliance and the Chinese Hegemony shape this novel?

What roles do Rico’s father and mother play in the novel?

How is Mr./Col. Dubois central to the novel?

Why does the author include the floggings and hanging in the novel?

Is the portrayal of shipboard life believable decades after the novel is written?

Why is Juan Rico so self-critical throughout the novel? Is he officer material?

Should only honorably discharged military veterans be allowed to vote and hold political office?

Do any of Dubois theories about the depravity of 20th-century culture ring true with you? Which ones? How?