Alone with You in the Ether: A Love Story

What does Regan mean when she says she’s finally an artist? What is art to Regan, and why did she never feel like an artist before? What does Regan believe is responsible for this change?

How do Regan and Aldo differ in their perspectives of the concept of hexagonal patterns and being stuck in a sort of endless cycle? What approach do they each take to expressing the loneliness and cyclical nature of the human condition?

In what ways does Regan disrupt and alter Aldo’s routine and sense of reality the longer that they’re around each other? Why does Aldo find this alteration terrifying at first? Explain, using textual evidence.

How does the love story between Aldo and Regan examine the theme of The Passage and Consequences of Time? Which specific moments are most crucial in this story, and what are their consequences?

Since Aldo and Regan each battle with mental health, their relationship is largely defined by how they support one another in living with mental illness. Using textual evidence, examine whether their relationship is healthy. Why or why not? How do their internal conflicts affect their relationship?

Regan and Aldo’s relationship illustrates the theme of Love as a Composite of Contradictions and Opposites. What are the primary differences between them, and how do these influence the dynamic of their bond?

What does it mean to be “alone with you in the ether”? How does Regan’s painting symbolize this concept?

Why doesn’t the novel name Regan and Aldo’s mental health conditions? How does this change the perception of these characters and the problems they experience?