Renee ’ s understanding of herself and the universe centers on her certainty of the consistency of mathematics . For Renee , mathematics “ is the sacred language of the high priests , the scientists and the technicians . As a sacred language , mathematics . . . is all-inclusive , timeless , transcendent , and incapable of being misinterpreted . . . . To think and speak the sacred language of mathematics is to think and speak the truth ” ( Kreuziger 38 ). Math has always provided Renee with a “ sense of rightness ”; she discovers this “ rightness ,” when she is a child and the epiphany grounds her understanding of the universe ( 74 ). However , Renee ’ s research leads her to a theorem that proves mathematics is inconsistent and thus meaningless . She discovers “ a formalism that lets you equate any number with any other number ,” thus proving that any two numbers are equal ( 80 ). Her discovery , which disproves “ most of mathematics ,” engenders in her the same sense of rightness that has structured her world up to this point , but this sense of rightness leads to her realization that the language of mathematics is neither sacred nor true ( 81 ). Her encounter with apocalypse reveals that mathematics can no longer provide meaning or structure to her life and she attempts suicide .
Carl ’ s understanding of himself and the universe centers on his certainty that “ compassion [ is ] a basic part of his character ” ( 87 ). Carl ’ s suicide attempt twenty years earlier allows him to become a person who knows “ the difference between sympathy and empathy ” and he finds his identity in his ability to “ offer comfort in similar situations ” ( 87 ). Just as mathematics provides “ rightness ” to Renee ’ s world , helping others , “[ sitting ] in the other seat , and [ playing ] the other part ” provides rightness to Carl ’ s world ( 87 ). Therefore , Carl is stunned to discover he has no empathy for Renee ’ s predicament : “ Whatever was
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