Describe the differences between Niccolo and Paul and how they reflect each character’s assimilation, or adjustment, to the society they inhabit. Pay attention to the inferred expectations of people within the computer-dependent society depicted.

Do the Bard’s outdated stories have a place in the digitized future? Or are the themes, plot structures, and content of the Bard’s stories truly useless for Niccolo and Paul?

How and why does Niccolo gradually cede to Paul’s interests and wants? What characteristics of both Niccolo and Paul encourage this conflict and resolution?