Many forms of education appear in the book. Discuss what those forms are. What point does Stephenson seem to be making about the purpose of education and what constitutes a good education?

Discuss the influence of caste/class, gender, and phyle on the evolution of Nell’s identity. What epiphanies must she have to fully claim an identity?

Carl Hollywood observes that unlike many other engineers and users, only Hackworth seems capable of bridging the divide between Feed and Seed. What is it about Hackworth that makes him the ideal Alchemist? At what point in the novel did you begin to suspect that he was the Alchemist, and why?