Essay Questions

What is the meaning of the title of the novel?

“Nine people were depending on her. Nine perfect strangers who would soon become like family.”

The title of the novel is reflected on the number of people who come to the Tranquillium House in search of relaxation and detoxification. They are nine perfect strangers from Masha’s perspective, because they all have some deep insecurities that she needs to fix. They are perfect candidates for her experimentation and subjects in her game, in which she sees herself as an ever knowing divinity.

What is the difference between how women see their appearance in the novel in comparison to men?

The novel makes a great commentary on the way women see their bodies in comparison to the way men see their bodies. It comments on how women see their bodies critically, as a huge reflection of themselves, while men are only partially concerned with their body image. This is shown in the characters of Tony and Carmel. While Tony sees his weight gain and the weakness of his body as just a temporary state and temporary obstacle that doesn’t define him, Carmel has a completely distorted hatred for her slightly overweight body, which contributes to her insecurities and hatred of self.

What does the novel say about the importance of communication?

The novel shows the importance of communication to overcome obstacles. This is most significantly shown through the example of Heather, Napoleon and Zoe. They have all suffered a deep trauma as a family after Zoe’s brother passed, but never communicated to each other about the effect the grief had on them, and ended up never quite moving on with their lives. Only when they finally communicated the anger and sadness to each other were they able to overcome the pain and celebrate Zach’s life.