I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

Ted reflects that “AM could not belong. He could merely be” (7). What is the difference between being and belonging? What are some examples of being versus belonging, and why would exclusion from belonging provoke such rage in AM?

Although Ted is the main character and narrator, he reveals nothing about his life before AM’s apocalypse. Why might that be? What does that accomplish for the story? How would the story be different if it did include Ted’s history?

Ellen is the only female character in the narrative. How would the story change if Ellen were another man? What would change if the characters were all women?

How does food, pain, sex, and bodily experience play into the dichotomy of man and machine? Why does AM seem to have a particular interest in forcing the prisoners to eat disgusting food, have terrible bodily experiences, and have soulless, routine sex?

If Ted had managed to die, what do you think AM would have done next?

Ted’s status as an unreliable narrator forces us to question everything he says and does. What evidence can we find that he is telling the truth? What evidence is there that he is lying? How does that change the story?

AM has been implanted into the earth and uses natural forces to torture his prisoners. However, a natural formation (the icicles) saves the majority of the group from torment. What other roles does nature play in this story? Are there other positive implications of their interactions with the natural world?

How does AM’s flawed understanding of humanity betray his limitations? What mistakes does AM make?