Photo by Dave Pait on Tumblr.

Sola asks S. if he has anything in his pockets that might help with his memory. S. chooses not to mention the slip of paper in his pocket with the “S” symbol because he still doesn’t know the significance of the symbol. This highlights the fear that comes with mystery. S. is lives in a constant state of worry because so much is unknown and even things that may not actually be dangerous pose the possibility of danger.

S. is kidnapped by the men who come after him in the bar, just before he can ask Sola for her name. Throughout the first nine chapters of Ship of Theseus, Sola comes close within reach, but S. is never quite able to be with her. This parallels F.X.C’s relationship with V.M. Straka.

Jen draws her second reference to a Danish website that tracks where the symbol has been found. Such a website does not actually exist.

Eric compares his anxiety and fears of being known to S.’s fears.

“Anxiety –> freezing up. Gets lost in his head”

“Been there, done that,”

“Me too, at the hearing, I could barely get a sentence out”

“I couldn’t say anything when Ilsa accused me. I wanted to spill everything . . . but I geld back. She prob took it as an admission.”

Eric offers to help Jen prepare something to say in her hearing.

“No, thanks. That’s exactly how I got into this.”

This reveals the challenges that Jen and Eric share. First, being that idea that they are up against “the system.” For the two of them, these are professors at PSU; for S., it is Védova. The other shared challenged among all protagonists of S. is the feeling of anxiety. Straka likely also felt anxious about having to constantly be hiding. Dorst could be making a statement of human condition by making this feeling of fear/anxiety so central to the novel.