Most people want to believe to at least some degree that we can control our fate based on the choices we make along the way. But what if our paths were laid out for us from the very beginning, and each of those choices, despite what we think, will still lead to the same result, no matter what? As someone who is dying before he'd like to, in Going Bovine Cam wrestles with this age-old debate. He wants to believe that the choices he makes can alter the course of his destiny, and yet he still has to succumb to death in the end.
Questions About Fate vs. Free Will
- If you had to argue that Libba Bray is a proponent for fate or free will, which one would you say she believes in based on this book? What evidence does she give you throughout Going Bovine that supports your theory?
- What is Dulcie's take on destiny? How does this enhance your understanding of Cam's take on destiny?
- It would behoove Cameron to believe in free will, but his is the only fate that can't be changed. How does this affect his perspective?
Chew on This
Cameron starts out believing in free will, but by the end he realizes there is no escaping the fate that's laid out for him.
Because you can alter your fate through the choices you make (change is the one constant in the world, according to Dulcie), free will becomes the model on which Cam relies.