Held

As he lies wounded, John posits, “Perhaps the most important things we know cannot be proven” (4). How does this statement of faith foreshadow John’s actions after World War I? On a broader level, how does this sentiment reflect the thematic drift of the novel as a whole?

In Held, more than one character cites the “absence” of something as proof of its existence, rather than evidence against it. Cite at least two examples of this paradox, comparing and contrasting the reasoning of the characters involved.

The three “spirit photos” that John takes are never fully explained, and they remain one of the novel’s many mysteries. What clues does the text provide to indicate that Robert Stanley, John’s photography assistant, has faked the photographs? Conversely, are there hints that the photos might be genuine?