How does the narrator’s life at home in Los Angeles stifle her true self? Consider how she conducts herself in this sphere and how the environment compels her behaviors and dictates her relationships.

In what ways does the narrator’s cross-country trip usher her toward change and awakening? How do her expectations for the trip compare to the reality of it, and why? In what ways does it grant her a new sense of autonomy?

How does the narrator’s relationship to her artwork link to her identity? How does she feel when she’s working and how does she feel and behave when she doesn’t have a creative project? Why does she often try to separate her home life from her creative life?