Essay Questions

Why does Jake find it impossible to change the past?

The biggest hurdle for Jake is dealing with the dangers associated with changing the past. Initially, Jake thinks the past can be modified to suit his expectations. When Al tells Jake that the past is resistant, he does not believe him. Later, Jake discovers that the past fights against any attempts to modify it to suit any person's interests. Jake learns two important lessons about the past. Firstly, the past retaliates against any damage done to it. Secondly, any human being can never change the past.

Why is Al recruiting his friend Jake to continue with his project?

Al is doing a serious project aiming to protect J.F Kennedy's assassination. Al knows that Lee Harvey Oswald plans to assassinate Kennedy, and he believes he can stop the killing. The project involves keenly following Oswald's moves and the people he is collaborating with. Unfortunately, Al contracts cancer and his life may end soon before he actualizes his plan. Therefore, Al decides to recruit his trusted friend, Jake, to continue with his project of ensuring Kennedy is safe.

Does Jake successfully finish the assignment given to him?

When Jake agrees to stop the killing of Kennedy, he puts strategies in place to help him spy on Oswald. However, Jake falls in love with Sadie. This woman becomes the biggest distraction in Jake's plan to spy on Oswald. The day Kennedy is shot, Jake is distracted by Sadie's confrontation with her ex-husband. Therefore, instead of Jake spying on Oswald to stop him from killing Kennedy, he concentrates on saving Sadie from his ex-aggressive husband.