Kirsten
How did the tragedies from the flu shape Kirsten?
She became more independent, resilient, and capable of protecting herself rather than relying on others.
How did Clark’s appreciation for everyday objects change after the flu?
- After a lifetime of taking his possessions for granted, Clark gains an appreciation for these “relics” of the past and chooses to start a museum to preserve some of the past.
What was the Traveling Symphonies "slogan," and why
“Survival is Insufficient". Because they thought that simply surviving isn’t enough and having music and literature as a part of their lives was necessary to live a true life.
Instead of letting trauma define her, Kirsten found this new and meaningful purpose that kept her moving forward in a post-flu world?
The Traveling Sypmhony
How do Clark and the Severn city airport people evolve for the better?
Clark & the airport people move from surviving as a bare minimum to preserving human culture and building a meaningful, connected society.
How does the Traveling Symphony move toward performing new art, rather than just performing Shakespeare, show how they are developing positively?
-It shows that they are shifting from preserving the past and actively building a new culture for themselves.
How did Kirsten's attitude towards the old-world change as she grew older?
She learned to appreciate the past without feeling the need to return to it. While also finding meaning and happiness in the new life she built after the flu.
Did Tyler and Elizabeth change in a positive way after the flu started?
No, after the flu happened they both chose to look for some kind of answer to what happened instead of moving on and appreciating what they have now.
What are the morals of the traveling symphony like? Did they change because of the flu?
Despite the influence of the flu, the moral compass of the traveling symphony stays strong throughout the book, prioritizing being kind and respectful, but also doing what they must to stay alive.
Although she doesn’t remember much of life pre-flu, Kirsten holds onto memories and acts of kindness by this specific actor, showing she chooses goodness rather than trauma?
Arthur Leandor
Rather than “Adapting for the better,” these two characters survive the flu only to develop a dangerous religious cult based on the belief that the pandemic was a divine judgement.
Tyler (The Prophet) and Elizabeth
When the symphony starts to fall apart, what is the mindset that the rest of the members have?
After some of the members of the symphony go missing, the rest of the crew continues to have a positive mindset about the whole situation, looking forward to meeting them again at their next destination.