The Midnight Library Essay Questions

What is the main theme of The Midnight Library?

The main theme of the novel is possibility. At the beginning of the story, Nora feels completely trapped in her bad circumstances. She is despondently lonely and thinks that she no longer has a purpose. After being able to see many different iterations of her life, and the impact her choices can have, she realizes there is still so much she can do to make her life better. In this way, the novel highlights how her life always had a hidden potential for change.

What does the chessboard symbolize in the novel?

The image of the chessboard symbolizes possibility in the novel. At the beginning of the story, Nora is playing chess with Mrs. Elm, who remarks to her that her life is full of possibility. In the Midnight Library, Mrs. Elm says that she can't overlook minor decisions, because, in chess, every piece has the potential to radically change the course of a game, just like these choices can reshape a life. In these depictions, the image of a chessboard is used to illustrate the idea that life is full of variable outcomes.

What does the first potential life reveal?

In the first life Nora travels to, she owns a pub with her husband Dan. In this life, she did not break off their engagement and they went through with his plan to buy a bar. She quickly learns that they are not very happy in this life, as he is continually dismissive of the things she says and seems distant. She discovers that he cheated on her in the past and that in this timeline their relationship is deeply fractured. Seeing this allows her to realize that Dan was never the right person for her and that she shouldn't regret having broken things off with him. It also shows her that her choices often have surprising outcomes.

How is the idea of success framed throughout the novel?

The idea of success is complicated and questioned as the novel progresses. In a few instances, Nora chooses lives that are radically different from her root life. In one she is a famous rockstar. In another she is a swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. However, in both of these lives, she perceives things that are missing and comes to question the cost that came with their notoriety. In the speech she gives in her champion-swimmer existence, Nora says that the outward appearance of her life does not really convey the struggles she has endured and that the very idea of a "successful" life is misleading.

Why does Nora return to her old life at the end of the novel?

While Nora sees many different versions of her life throughout the book, the story ends with her back in Bedford. This seems initially surprising, especially given the fact that she seemed to find many seemingly good versions of her life, but the reason for this becomes quite clear in the last chapter. Nora returns to her old life because she has a renewed sense of possibility. Knowing now that her choices can have a dramatic and unforeseen impact, she feels more hopeful about how much she can change things.