“Sweep me up”
Introducing Vincent as a character, her memory from writing these words on a school window, is the key to her life and the end of her story. She grows up wanting independence but becomes swept up in a life where is dependent on another person. Vincent dies being swept up by the sea, finally being independent and doing what she wants. This memory of the words “sweep me up” conclude her story as well.
Ghosts
Ghosts are a motif present throughout. Paul is haunted by the ghost of his friend who overdoses, and he lives in fear of overdosing himself. Jonathan is haunted in prison by the ghosts of all the people that were consequently killed by his scheme, and Vincent becomes a ghost at the end, appearing in front of people she cares about and has something to resolve with.
Counterlife
Counterlife is a life many of the characters wish for they had wishing that they made different choices that led them of different and better paths. To cope with his life sentence in prison, Jonathan dreams of a counterlife where he escaped the country on time and lived comfortably in luxury. This leads to him being unable to discern his imagination from reality.
Kingdom of money
Vincent describes her life with Jonathan in luxury as a life on a different planet, a kingdom of money which, to her, doesn’t represent reality. Vincent is right that she lives in a fictional world with Jonathan because all the money and luxury is actually a lie, a fiction Jonathan built with the scheme.
