Discuss the significance of the birds as they appear throughout the novel and explain the connection between flight and freedom. In contrast, people living in the Lakeland community seem to be living in a bubble they are afraid will burst. Discuss the differences and similarities that exist between 35th Street and Lakeland. Thirty-fifth Street has always been a dumping ground for one kind of craziness or another, a place for people who don't fit in anywhere else. Explain his role in her death.
Dreams repeatedly collide with reality in the course of the novel.
Talk about the ways in which the depths of misery can lead to startling beauty.