Essay Questions

Why does the fugitive have a diary?

The fugitive's diary is an important part of explaining the plot, so, without it, the author would not be able to get his point across. The diary is a place that the main character (the fugitive) writes down all his thoughts, so it gives us a closer look into his mind, something that could not be done through dialogue alone.

Why is it mentioned that the island has a history of a strange disease similar to radiation poisoning?

This is meant to throw the reader off into thinking that the fugitive is the one that is crazy, and he has been poisoned by this disease. Instead of foreshadowing, this is used to throw the reader off of the track. Of course, you could interpret the story in another way. It is possible that the fugitive really has imagined everything, and the idea of something that can repeat history has come from his distorted imagination.

Why does the author make the fugitive fall in love with Faustine?

Love is a very important idea in many works of literature, including this one. The fugitive falls in love with Faustine, even though she can not see him when he first approaches her. The love between them is supposed to show how alone the fugitive really is. Since he has been alone for so long, and likely has not been loved before, he is able to love someone that he barely knows, and that has no feelings for him.