What are the motifs in Mao II by Don DeLillo?

Tension and isolation are recurring ideas to consider. Throughout the narrative, characters experience the dynamic push/pull tension of being alone, and being with other people, whether it be a group or just one or two. Explorations of this dynamic manifest on several different levels. Bill Gray, for example, wants to be left alone, but finds himself relying on the company of Scott (for organization) and Karen (for sex) and, eventually Brita (for intellectual stimulation). In other words, even in his solitude, he craves connection.