Comment on theme

Locke uses the reoccurring theme of neighbors as a framework against which to compare dynamics between characters in the novel. Calling to mind Christian parables of neighborly duty and the trustworthiness and duty of the good neighbor, Locke instead most often uses the theme ironically, pointing to the self-centered nature of the characters. In Part One, District Attorney Vaughn stopped by Darren's family home in Camilla, saying "'Thought I saw your truck in town'" and the narrator then observed that his tone was "not at all unfriendly - neighborly, even, as if [he] had stopped by to warn him of a storm coming" (20).