What's the most alone you've ever felt? Sitting in the cafeteria alone at lunch? Not getting picked as someone's partner for a school project? Getting turned down by a prospective prom date? Try getting kidnapped from an airport and held hostage in an endless desert with nothing and no one around for miles.
In a way, the land in Stolen is its own character in the drama of Gemma's disappearance—everywhere she looks, there are no people or places to be seen, and this only serves to make her feel more desperate and lonely. You know, in case things weren't hard enough for Gemma already.
Questions About Isolation
- How does Gemma's attitude change throughout the story? How does her isolation gradually cause her to lose hope that she'll escape or be rescued?
- How do Christopher's descriptions of the desert play a role in upping the stakes of Gemma's situation? Pick a few examples to explore in depth.
- How does Gemma's isolation heighten the tension between her and Ty? Be specific. Is Ty isolated, too? And, if so, how does this affect their interactions?
- What effect do the descriptions of the desert have on you as a reader? Can you sense Gemma's desperation and loneliness?
Chew on This
Placing the characters in an isolated environment forces them to interact, creating greater strain between them.
While there's clearly no evidence of life outside Ty's property, Gemma remains hopeful as a psychological device to help herself survive.