Expiration Dates

Discuss the romance genre elements within the novel. How do these elements affect the plot or character development, as well as reader expectations? Use examples from the text to explain.

What does Irina mean when she says that “love is not enough” (196)? Is this statement true in Daphne’s life? Support your argument with examples from the text.

In contrast to Irina’s statement, Daphne’s father argues that “love is a net” (238). What might be meant by this, and how does it relate to or complicate Irina’s statement? How does this assessment relate to the central themes of the novel?

Following her discussion about children with Jake, Daphne wonders about “what our responsibility is to other people, how much we owe them. Whose job is it to look out for our own happiness. Us, or the people who love us? It’s both, of course. We owe ourselves and each other. But in what order?” (215). How does the novel answer this question? Use examples from the text to explain.

The secret of Daphne’s illness is withheld until Chapter 24, over halfway through the novel. What are the benefits or downfalls of this narrative decision? What effect does it have on the narrative and the reader?

How do the symbolisms of the notes and the various boxes function together and separately in the novel? Use examples from the text.

In what ways do the themes of Fate Versus Choice, Connection and Vulnerability, and The Dichotomy Between Truth and Story overlap and interact with each other? Are these themes separable from each other in Daphne’s life? Why or why not?

Consider Daphne’s claim that “[l]ove says, I will try and I will fail. Love says, Despite. Love says, And yet and yet and yet” (216). How does this statement relate to the themes of Fate Versus Choice and Connection and Vulnerability?