Essay Questions

Who is Kaaro, and what is his significance in the novel?

Kaaro is one of the strong characters in the Rosewater who plays a significant role in helping the government agencies to capture and assassinate Wormwood. Kaaro is among the early people who interacted with the fungus, which gave him psychic powers to perform special functions. Interestingly, despite being powerful, Kaaro steals to survive. Paradoxically, instead of the government charging him for stealing, it recruits him to perfect his powers and help deal with Wormwood. Therefore, Kaaro is important because he helps attack the enemy the government is fighting against.

What is the alien's goal in collecting information about the human species?

The primary objective of aliens in creating powered people on earth is to collect vital information that can be used to destroy them in later years. The fungus released to earth to interact with human beings to give them power is used in retrieving vital information. After collecting enough information in 2066, the aliens killed all people who interacted with the fungus. However, Kaaro is saved by Wormwood from the alien's directive.

How do mysticism and science emerge as the main theme?

The novel is a mix of spirituality and science discussing future possibilities. The fungus is used emblematically to symbolize the emergence of future innovations that will change how people operate. This novel's mysticism and science theme is inspired by the possible future threats that humanity can face. The novel explores how information might be extracted in the future for intelligence purposes. The spirituality aspect of the novel is explored through the creation of powered individuals with imaginative abilities.