Determinism vs. Free Will

The narrator repeatedly contrasts theories of cosmic determinism (Original Impress) with individual agency, framing his own unemployment and life events as either predestined or the result of personal choice and 'hitches.'

Tom muses on the 'linked sins of aggression and submission' and the possibility of breaking free from historical injustices.

The philosophical discussion of Ormuzd and Ahriman, and the pull between good and evil, reflects on the deterministic forces shaping human behavior.