Riddle for the Ages: Why did the ocean sent the visitors? And why did it stop? Was it a test? Was it torture? Was it a misguided attempt of a good deed? The point of the novel is that we can never know.
It's strongly hinted that it has something to do with one of the strange formations seen on the surface (the "symmetriad")—that the ocean was trying to understand humans in terms of one, and the "ghosts" were the ocean trying to generate the individual humans' "missing" counterparts.
Also, what visitors did Snow and Sartorius get? They're probably manifestations of sexual fantasies, but it's never made clear.
Not necessarily. Rheya is Kris's My Greatest Failure in addition to being his The Lost Lenore. So it might be regrets (Uptight Sartorius gets a mischevous kid in a straw hat - do you see this as a sexual fantasy? Also Snow seems, after a while, to be at peace with his visitor - maybe he's worked through the problem) or shadow archetypes (again - Sartorius's is very different from himself), or maybe something entirely random from their memories or subconciousness.
Pulled this, as both examples of Riddle for the Ages have been challenged. It isn't clear to me whether there is actually a valid instance of Riddle for the Ages. Please, don't engage in Conversation In The Main Page. See How To Write An Example.
- Riddle for the Ages: Why did the ocean sent the visitors? And why did it stop? Was it a test? Was it torture? Was it a misguided attempt of a good deed? The point of the novel is that we can never know.
- It's strongly hinted that it has something to do with one of the strange formations seen on the surface (the "symmetriad")—that the ocean was trying to understand humans in terms of one, and the "ghosts" were the ocean trying to generate the individual humans' "missing" counterparts.
- Also, what visitors did Snow and Sartorius get? They're probably manifestations of sexual fantasies, but it's never made clear.
- Not necessarily. Rheya is Kris's My Greatest Failure in addition to being his The Lost Lenore. So it might be regrets (Uptight Sartorius gets a mischevous kid in a straw hat - do you see this as a sexual fantasy? Also Snow seems, after a while, to be at peace with his visitor - maybe he's worked through the problem) or shadow archetypes (again - Sartorius's is very different from himself), or maybe something entirely random from their memories or subconciousness.
Let's just say and leave it at that.