Inactivity and Immobilization

The novel explores the causes and effects of inactivity and immobilization by way of the narrator’s extended stint in the forest. At the start of the novel, the narrator attempts to deliver himself from the boredom that has “taken hold of [him]” by taking an impromptu night drive (9). Although he does not know where he is going and has no plans for his journey, the narrator keeps driving. The drive grants him the illusion of mobility and choice. However, by the end of the novel’s first page, the narrator has gotten his car “totally stuck” (9). Instead of trying to go for help right away, the narrator stops the car, turns the engine off, and sits there staring out the windshield (9, 10). The image of the narrator sitting in the stopped car symbolizes his profound immobilization in his life. Although he feels anxious, empty...