Beggars in Spain

Although Beggars in Spain is a collection of four narratives, each with its own distinct conflict, the persistent arc of the entire tetralogy concerns Leisha's philosophical evolution and maturation. Throughout most of Book 1, Leisha—like many precocious youths—is unwaveringly certain in her philosophical beliefs. Thanks to the indoctrination of her father, young Leisha adheres to a fictional system of thought known as Yagaiism. The founder, Kenzo Yagai, explains:

[T]he only dignity, the only spirituality, rests on what a man can achieve with his own efforts. To rob a man of the chance to achieve, and to trade what he achieves with others, is to rob him of his spiritual dignity as a man. (28).

Although Yagaiism is fictional, it bears a clear resemblance to the principles of the real-life 20th-century philosopher Ayn Rand. This connection is no accident. In the Preface to her book, Kress states that she wrote Beggars in Spain in part to unpack her complicated reactions to Rand's belief that “no human being owes anything to any other except what is agreed to in a voluntary contract” (xi)—a worldview, Kress adds, that she herself does not endorse. Rand's principles—collectively known as Objectivism—dictate that rational self-interest should be the chief motivator behind human behavior, and the only socioeconomic system consistent with these principles is laissez faire capitalism, in which the state is absent or extremely limited in its involvement with private enterprise and trade. Like Yagaiism, Objectivism also frames spirituality in rational and economic terms. While most philosophers in academia have either ignored or rejected Rand's ideas, her work has attracted a significant popular following, particularly among American conservatives and libertarians.

While Leisha will later refine and ultimately abandon many of the ideas undergirding Yagaiism, in her youth she embraces them wholeheartedly. In many ways, her beliefs are a natural outgrowth of her status as one of the most intelligent women on the planet. As a person for whom achievement comes naturally and easily, a belief system based on exchanging the fruits of those achievements in mutually beneficial trade is appealing. On the other hand, her youth, her lack of direct experience with the world, and her privilege as the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur blind her to the limitations of such a philosophy. In Chapter 4, when she and Richard discuss what top achievers like them owe to the “deformed and handicapped and sick and lazy and shiftless” (39), Leisha calmly and without empathy responds that everyone in society will benefit indirectly from their economic achievements and so they needn't give more. This is akin to the “trickle-down theory” proponents of Reaganomics put forth to justify massive tax cuts and reductions in government regulations. Never mind that neither Leisha nor Richard has achieved or contributed anything of value to society yet, and that the luxuries they enjoy come from their parents' wealth and not their own achievements. Nevertheless, they both speak with a sense of intellectual authority on the matter, an authority which will be called into question as Leisha grows older.

In addition to introducing the book as a work of philosophical conflict, these chapters introduce the idea of dreams and whether they constitute something valuable. In Chapter 1, when Roger interrogates Susan on the matter, she responds that dreaming is “not necessary. A left-over bombardment of the cortex to keep it on semi-alert in case a predator attacked during sleep. Wakefulness does that better” (10). While scientists currently have no definitive answer as to why mammals evolved to sleep the way they do, Susan's response is consistent with many sleep researchers' most plausible theories. Writing in Scientific American, psychology professor Christopher French suggests that sleeping animals are less vulnerable: “When an animal is awake and maneuvering in its environment […] it will […] expend energy […] / and can wander into harm's way” (French, Christopher. “Why Did Sleep Evolve?” Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2013.). As the book develops, however, it becomes clear that looking at sleep and dreaming from a strictly evolutionary perspective ignores the benefits that dreams provide by adjusting our brains to non-linear thinking, which is useful for solving certain complex problems and for breaking out of arguably reductive belief patterns like Yagaiism.

The ability to dream is also one of the few things Leisha envies about her sister Alice, a character who will continually challenge Leisha's assumptions about the world. One of the earliest arguments between them comes when the girls are 11 years old. After journalists report on Yagai's brief meeting with Leisha after his speech, Alice is angry because it makes her family look stuck up and superior. At this moment, Leisha hears the words of Yagai in her head: “The dogs bark but the caravan moves on” (30). While Alice's anger may or may not be justified, the fact that Leisha thinks of her own sister in this moment as no different from the “dogs” who asked derisive questions outside the Yagai speech disturbingly foreshadows the direction the sisters' relationship will take in the coming chapters. The matter of Leisha's relationship with Alice holds broader relevance to one of the book's central questions: whether Sleepers and Sleepless can ever peacefully integrate with one another in society.

While these chapters introduce human genetic modification as the dominant science fiction “hook” of the novel, the author doesn't devote much energy to explicitly debating the ethics of such a scientific development. This is largely consistent with Kress’s approach toward technology throughout the novel, in that she is far more concerned with the political and psychological ramifications of these developments as opposed to teasing out some sense of morality—or lack thereof—inherent in them. To Kress, technological advances like human genetic engineering are inevitable, and what's more important is ensuring the social bonds that hold humanity together can withstand them. For example, the dramatic cleavages in society that will erupt in the novel as a result of the Sleepless are not the fault of genetic engineering itself, but rather the systemic class distinctions that make genetic engineering a possibility only for the upper echelons of society. Moreover, the Sleepless aren't so much a window into debating genetic engineering as they are a springboard by which to examine the social and psychological effects of 24/7 wakefulness, a topic that is even more resonant today due to the emergence of mobile and Internet technologies that allow humans to stay connected to information, entertainment, and each other 24 hours a day.