Personal Agency

The novel explores the various ways in which personal choices affect one’s life, as well as how disconnection from personal responsibility may hamper a person’s ability to alter their habits and choices. For example, Bill is a character whose choices often lead to personal misfortune, and yet he generally chooses to view such misfortune as unavoidable. One strong instance of this dynamic is when Bill drunkenly burns his money while on a city bus in Pittsburgh. In the process, he destroys his money and accidentally burns his hand. After he leaves the bus, he says to Jamie, “This kind of shit just keeps happening until you’re dead” (29). This statement emphasizes the fact that Bill refuses to take responsibility for his actions and their consequences, choosing instead to view such consequences as unavoidable. This dynamic emphasizes the need for personal responsibility in altering...