Exhalation

Why is “Exhalation” the title story? What themes are established in this story that are prevalent throughout the rest of the collection? Develop your argument by citing passages from “Exhalation,” then connect those passages to events from other stories. 

Compare and contrast the way free will, or a lack of it, causes conflict in “What’s Expected of Us” and “Omphalos.” 

Using examples from at least three stories, explain how different characters use new technologies in positive and negative ways. What is Chiang telling the reader through these lessons?

“Dacey’s Patent Automatic Nanny” takes place in the past. However, how are the comments on childrearing in that story still relevant today? 

Using commentary from the Story Notes section, choose a story in the collection and utilize Chiang’s own comments to analyze the narrative structure and themes of that story. 

How does Chiang use multiple viewpoints to build narrative tension? What do multiple perspectives allow an author to do when focusing on a particular theme? Choose multiple stories or focus on one. 

What responsibilities and ramifications should humans consider when creating artificial life? Use examples from “The Lifecycle of Software Objects” to develop your argument.

What does telling a story through the perspective of a non-human character allow a story to achieve that wouldn’t be possible otherwise? Develop your paper around the stories “Exhalation” and “The Great Silence.”