Delicate Condition

The Prologue of the novel is told from Anna’s point of view after she has undergone the experiences of the opening chapters. How does the information in and voice of the Prologue shape the reader’s experience of the novel?

Anna’s acting career is relevant to the novel’s plot in that it provides numerous red herrings and creates tension as Anna’s blossoming fame conflicts with the demands of IVF and pregnancy. But in what ways is her career thematically relevant? How are audience and performance significant ideas in Anna’s journey?

As Anna prepares to give birth, she says “I knew that the only way through was to dig down, to confront the pain head on, to grab it by the root and pull. To surrender” (399). This statement appears to contain a contradiction: Is it possible to both confront and surrender to pain? What does this statement demonstrate about Anna’s shifting relationship with pain over the course of the book?