“The universe at this moment appears to him as something horrific, thin and threadbare and empty; it seems to know this, and in shame to turn away.”

Unable to explain why Skippy has suddenly died, Ruprecht looks out to the stars, which reflect back to him the terrifying absence of explanation. Ruprecht’s character arc is defined by the assumption that if he can understand the origins of the universe, he might come to understand the reasons for Skippy’s death.

“Imagine it […] everything that is, everything that has ever been—every grain of sand, every drop of water, every star, every planet, space and time themselves—all crammed into one dimensionless point where no rules or laws apply, waiting to fly out and become the future. When you think about it, the Big Bang’s a bit like school, isn’t it?”

Ruprecht’s characteristic optimism is embodied by this passage. He views school as the origin point for all of life to come, which explains his proactive attitude toward academics and extracurriculars. One day, he hopes to become a scientist like his hero, Professor Tamashi, but for the moment, he enjoys the undefined space he occupies in the world.

“But the fact is—the fact is that they live in a world of facts, one of which is that there are no dragons; there are only the pale torpid days, stringing by one like another, a clouded necklace of imitation pearls, and a love binding him to a life he never actually chose. Is this all it’s ever going to be? A grey tapestry of okayness? Frozen in a moment he drifted into?”

The relationship between Howard and Halley is defined by its ordinariness. Halley hopes that Howard will marry her, allowing her to become a naturalized Irish citizen. However, Howard fears the monotony that married life will bring, especially since he is so dissatisfied with life already.