Dissent in the Homeland

Adriane Strohl, a bright and inquisitive high school senior in a near-future totalitarian North American States, is raised in a family marked by suspicion and fear. Her father, once a promising doctor, is demoted for associating with subversives, and the family lives under the shadow of "Deletion"—a fate worse than death, erasing not only the person but all memory of them. Adriane's natural curiosity and questioning nature, especially in a society that punishes independent thought, sets her apart. Her valedictorian speech, filled with innocent but probing questions, draws the attention of the authorities, setting in motion a chain of events that will shatter her life and identity.

The Price of Questioning

Adriane's moment of academic triumph is swiftly transformed into a nightmare. Arrested at her graduation rehearsal for "Treason-Speech" and "Questioning of Authority," she is publicly denounced by her classmates in a chilling display of coerced democracy. Interrogated, humiliated, and subjected to psychological and physical torment, Adriane refuses to implicate her family or teachers. The regime's methods are designed to break her spirit and erase her individuality, culminating in a harrowing demonstration of state violence against her and other "Patriot Scholars." The threat of Deletion looms, but a different sentence awaits her.

Exile or Deletion

Instead of Deletion, Adriane is sentenced to Exile—a fate shrouded in rumor and fear. Exile is presented as a humane alternative, but it is a form of disappearance: the Exiled Individual is teletransported, stripped of identity, and forbidden from all meaningful connection. The process is invasive and traumatic, involving memory manipulation and the implantation of a microchip to censor her thoughts. Adriane is given a new name, "Mary Ellen Enright," and sent to a place called Zone 9, with strict instructions for survival. The hope of eventual return is dangled before her, but the reality is one of profound isolation.

Instructions for Survival

In Zone 9, Adriane must obey a rigid set of rules: she cannot reveal her past, seek out relatives, or form intimate relationships. She is monitored at all times, and any violation means instant Deletion. The microchip in her brain blurs her memories, making it difficult to recall her family or even her own face. She is forced to perform normalcy, to blend in as a scholarship student at Wainscotia State University in 1959 Wisconsin—a world both familiar and alien. The struggle to remember and the fear of being discovered define her existence, as she clings to the hope of one day returning home.

Arrival in Zone 9

Mary Ellen Enright arrives at Wainscotia, a Midwestern university frozen in the late 1950s. Everything is foreign: the technology, the customs, the food, the relentless cheerfulness of her roommates. She is an object of curiosity and pity, unable to explain her strangeness. The absence of modern conveniences—no computers, no cell phones—heightens her sense of displacement. She is haunted by the loss of her family and friends, and by the knowledge that she cannot reach out to anyone. The past is both a prison and a refuge, and the present is a test of endurance.

The Girl with No Past

Mary Ellen's attempts to fit in are hampered by her inability to remember or convincingly fabricate a past. Her roommates speculate about her origins, and she becomes known as the girl with no mail, no family, no history. The loneliness is crushing, and her efforts to perform normalcy are exhausting. She is acutely aware of being watched, and every interaction is fraught with the risk of exposure. The microchip's censorship makes it nearly impossible to recall details of her former life, deepening her sense of unreality and loss.

Typewriters and Time Shifts

A typewriter—a relic to Adriane—becomes a symbol of her dislocation. The absence of digital technology is both a practical challenge and a metaphor for her severed connection to her own time. Her confusion and distress are so acute that she faints when confronted with the machine. The realization that she has been sent not just to another place but to another era—eighty years in the past—intensifies her sense of exile. She is utterly alone, with no one who knows or loves her, and no way to return.

The Loneliness of Memory

Adriane's struggle to remember her family, friends, and former self is a nightly ordeal. The microchip blocks her most cherished memories, leaving her with only fragments and a sense of profound loss. She is haunted by the fear that, if she forgets, she will cease to exist. The loneliness is compounded by the impossibility of forming genuine connections in Zone 9, where every relationship is shadowed by suspicion and the threat of surveillance. Yet, the act of remembering becomes an act of resistance—a way to assert her identity against the forces that seek to erase her.

Wolfman's Recognition

In her psychology class, Adriane encounters Ira Wolfman, a young, charismatic instructor who seems to recognize something in her. Their mutual awareness is electric and dangerous. Wolfman, too, is an exile—an older, more experienced survivor who has learned to navigate the rules of Zone 9. Their connection is immediate but fraught with peril; both know that intimacy is forbidden and that discovery means destruction. Yet, in Wolfman, Adriane finds the first glimmer of understanding and hope since her arrival.

Forbidden Connections

The relationship between Adriane and Wolfman deepens, moving from intellectual kinship to emotional and physical intimacy. Their love is both a lifeline and a liability, a source of strength and a potential death sentence. They meet in secret, share their stories, and dream of escape. Wolfman's own history as a subversive hacker and his insights into the nature of Zone 9—whether it is real, virtual, or something in between—challenge Adriane's understanding of her predicament. Together, they test the boundaries of their exile, seeking meaning and agency in a world designed to strip them of both.

The Spell of Obedience

Adriane's life in Zone 9 is a constant negotiation between obedience and resistance. She excels academically, hoping to avoid notice, but her intelligence and curiosity threaten to betray her. The university is a microcosm of the larger society: conformity is rewarded, dissent is punished, and mediocrity is the norm. The lessons of behavioral psychology—operant conditioning, learned helplessness—become both the subject of her studies and the reality of her existence. The struggle to maintain her sense of self in the face of relentless pressure to conform is both exhausting and heroic.

The Maze of Identity

As Adriane's relationship with Wolfman intensifies, so does her questioning of reality. Is Zone 9 a real place, a virtual construct, or a psychological experiment? Wolfman's theories and confessions—sometimes sincere, sometimes teasing—blur the line between truth and illusion. The boundaries of identity, memory, and agency become increasingly porous. Adriane's attempts to escape, both physically and mentally, are thwarted by invisible barriers. The maze is both literal and metaphorical, and the only way out may be through acceptance and adaptation.

The Wall of Forgetting

Adriane's efforts to remember her past are met with both fleeting success and devastating setbacks. The microchip's censorship creates false memories and erases real ones, leaving her unsure of what is true. The loss of her family becomes a recurring nightmare, and the fear that she will forget them entirely is a constant torment. The wall between past and present, self and other, becomes nearly insurmountable. Yet, even in her despair, Adriane clings to the belief that memory is the key to survival.

The Museum's Secret Shelter

Wolfman leads Adriane to a secret bomb shelter beneath the university's museum—a place beyond surveillance, where they can speak freely and share their love. In this underground sanctuary, they confront the realities of their exile, their hopes for escape, and the possibility that Zone 9 is itself a kind of experiment or simulation. The shelter becomes a symbol of both safety and entrapment, a place where the past and future converge. Their time together is brief but transformative, offering a glimpse of freedom and connection in a world designed to deny both.

Love in Exile

The love between Adriane and Wolfman is both a rebellion against the regime that exiled them and a source of healing. Their relationship is marked by tenderness, longing, and the ever-present threat of discovery. They dream of escaping together, of building a life beyond the confines of Zone 9. Yet, the forces arrayed against them—both external and internal—are formidable. The possibility of happiness is real but fragile, and the cost of love may be ultimate loss.

The Failed Escape

Adriane and Wolfman attempt to escape Zone 9, hiking for hours through the arboretum in hopes of reaching freedom. But the landscape itself betrays them, looping back on itself and returning them to their starting point. The realization that they are trapped—by forces beyond their understanding or control—is devastating. In a moment of surreal violence, Wolfman is struck down, possibly by a drone or a manifestation of the regime's power. Adriane is left alone, her hope shattered, her love lost.

Lightning and Loss

In the aftermath of Wolfman's disappearance, Adriane is struck by lightning and found unconscious on the trail. She awakens in a hospital, her memory fragmented, her identity uncertain. The official story is that she was hiking alone and survived a miraculous accident. Visitors from her past life—now strangers—come to see her, but she cannot remember them. The pain of loss is overwhelming, and the struggle to reclaim her selfhood is both physical and psychological. The possibility of healing is real, but the scars of exile remain.

The Miracle of Survival

Adriane, now fully Mary Ellen, is taken in by a kind artist, Jamie, and begins to build a new life on a Wisconsin farm. The trauma of her past lingers, but the rhythms of daily life, the love of her new family, and the beauty of the natural world offer solace and meaning. The question of identity—who she was, who she is, who she might become—remains unresolved, but the possibility of happiness endures. The hazards of time travel are many, but so are the miracles of survival and love.

Characters

Adriane Strohl / Mary Ellen Enright

Adriane is the novel's protagonist, a seventeen-year-old whose intelligence and curiosity make her a target in a repressive regime. Her journey from valedictorian to exiled "Mary Ellen" is marked by trauma, resilience, and a relentless search for meaning. Psychologically, Adriane is defined by her longing for connection, her fear of erasure, and her refusal to surrender her sense of self. Her relationships—with her family, her friends, and especially with Wolfman—are the anchors of her identity, even as memory and reality are manipulated. Over the course of the novel, Adriane evolves from a naïve optimist to a survivor who finds hope and love in unexpected places, embodying the struggle to remain human in an inhuman world.

Ira Wolfman

Wolfman is a young, brilliant psychology instructor at Wainscotia, himself an exile from the future. His recognition of Adriane as a fellow exile creates a bond of understanding and longing. Wolfman is both mentor and lover, guiding Adriane through the complexities of Zone 9 while wrestling with his own disillusionment and trauma. His background as a subversive hacker and his ambiguous relationship to the regime add layers of complexity to his character. Psychologically, Wolfman is marked by a tension between cynicism and hope, self-preservation and the desire for connection. His ultimate fate—whether real or illusory—serves as a catalyst for Adriane's transformation.

Eric Strohl

Adriane's father is a once-promising doctor demoted for his association with subversives. His status as a Marked Individual shapes the family's life, instilling caution, shame, and a quiet defiance. Eric's love for his children is evident in his efforts to protect them, even as he is haunted by the loss of his brother Tobias to Deletion. Psychologically, Eric embodies the cost of survival under tyranny—the compromises, the silences, the enduring hope for a better future. His influence on Adriane is profound, shaping her values and her resistance.

Madeleine Strohl

Adriane's mother is a figure of resilience and sorrow, navigating the dangers of life under surveillance with grace and determination. Her love for her family is expressed through small acts of care and sacrifice. Psychologically, Madeleine is marked by a deep sadness and a capacity for endurance. Her presence in Adriane's memories serves as both comfort and torment, a reminder of what has been lost and what must be preserved.

Roderick Strohl

Adriane's older brother is a complex figure—resentful, envious, and possibly complicit in her downfall. His own failures and frustrations are projected onto Adriane, and his ambiguous role in her arrest haunts her throughout her exile. Psychologically, Roderick represents the dangers of internalized oppression and the ways in which fear can corrode familial bonds. His relationship with Adriane is a source of pain and unresolved longing.

S. Platz

S. Platz is the Youth Disciplinary Counsel who oversees Adriane's sentencing. Her demeanor is both kind and chilling, embodying the regime's capacity for both cruelty and rationalization. Psychologically, Platz is a functionary who believes in the system's logic, offering "humane" alternatives while enforcing dehumanizing rules. Her interactions with Adriane highlight the moral ambiguities of power and the limits of empathy within oppressive structures.

Hilda McIntosh

Hilda is one of Adriane's roommates at Acrady Cottage, emblematic of the well-meaning but oblivious inhabitants of Zone 9. Her attempts to befriend Adriane are sincere but often misguided, highlighting the gulf between those who belong and those who are exiled. Psychologically, Hilda represents the comfort and limitations of normalcy, offering both solace and a reminder of Adriane's alienation.

Miss Steadman

The resident adviser at Acrady Cottage, Miss Steadman is earnest, caring, and somewhat intrusive. Her efforts to help Adriane are genuine, but she is ultimately unable to bridge the gap between their worlds. Psychologically, Steadman embodies the benevolent face of institutional authority—supportive but ultimately powerless to address the deeper injustices of the system.

Jamie Stiles

Jamie is the artist who rescues Adriane after her trauma and becomes her partner in a new life. His warmth, creativity, and acceptance offer Adriane a path to recovery and belonging. Psychologically, Jamie represents the possibility of renewal, the healing power of love, and the importance of community. His presence in Adriane's life marks a turning point, allowing her to move beyond exile and loss.

Dr. Cosgrove / Uncle Toby

Dr. Cosgrove, revealed to be Adriane's uncle Tobias, is a figure of mystery and connection. His appearance in the aftermath of Adriane's trauma offers a tantalizing glimpse of her lost family and history. Psychologically, he embodies the persistence of memory and the possibility of reconciliation, even in the face of erasure. His role in the narrative underscores the importance of lineage, identity, and the enduring bonds of love.

Plot Devices

Time Travel as Exile

The novel uses time travel not as a means of adventure but as a tool of state control and psychological torment. Exile to the past is a way to erase dissenters without the spectacle of execution, severing them from all connections and rendering them invisible. The mechanics of time travel are deliberately ambiguous—part technological, part psychological, possibly even virtual—underscoring the uncertainty and unreality of Adriane's experience. This device allows the novel to explore themes of memory, identity, and the construction of reality, while also critiquing the ways in which power manipulates both individuals and history.

Memory Manipulation and Censorship

The implantation of a microchip to censor Adriane's memories is both a literal and symbolic device. It represents the regime's desire to control not just behavior but thought itself, to erase the past and rewrite the self. The struggle to remember becomes an act of resistance, and the loss of memory is equated with the loss of identity. This device is used to explore the psychological consequences of trauma, the fragility of selfhood, and the importance of memory in shaping who we are.

Surveillance and the Panopticon

The novel's world is one of constant surveillance, where every action is monitored and every relationship is suspect. This creates a pervasive atmosphere of fear and self-censorship, shaping behavior and relationships. The panopticon is both external (the state's monitoring) and internal (the implanted microchip, the internalization of rules). This device is used to explore the psychology of oppression, the dynamics of power, and the ways in which surveillance shapes not just actions but desires and beliefs.

Foreshadowing and Unreliable Reality

The narrative is filled with hints that Zone 9 may not be what it seems—references to virtual reality, psychological experiments, and the possibility that the entire experience is a construct. Wolfman's ambiguous explanations, the looping geography, and the surreal events all contribute to a sense of unreality. This device is used to keep the reader off-balance, to mirror Adriane's own uncertainty, and to raise questions about the nature of reality, agency, and truth.

The Maze and the Wall

The recurring imagery of mazes, walls, and barriers serves as both literal obstacles and metaphors for Adriane's struggle. The maze represents the complexity and confusion of her situation, the difficulty of finding a way out. The wall is the barrier between memory and forgetting, self and other, past and present. These devices are used to explore the themes of entrapment, resistance, and the search for meaning.

Analysis

Hazards of Time Travel is a haunting meditation on the fragility of identity, the power of memory, and the psychological costs of living under surveillance and repression. Joyce Carol Oates reimagines time travel not as a vehicle for adventure but as a tool of erasure, exile, and psychological control. The novel's dystopian vision is chillingly plausible, drawing on historical and contemporary anxieties about authoritarianism, conformity, and the manipulation of truth. At its core, the story is about the struggle to remain human in the face of dehumanizing forces—the refusal to surrender curiosity, love, and the longing for connection. Adriane's journey from questioning student to exiled survivor is both a cautionary tale and a testament to resilience. The novel's ambiguous ending—blurring the line between reality and construct, loss and renewal—invites readers to reflect on the meaning of freedom, the necessity of dissent, and the enduring power of hope. In a world where the past can be rewritten and the self can be erased, the act of remembering—and loving—becomes the ultimate form of resistance.

Last updated: December 10, 2025