Guilt and Retribution

It is really Neil's conscience and the way that he manages his guilt that is at the core of the novel's narrative structure and meaning. Neil is plagued by a deep sense of guilt after he and his friends were responsible for a man's death, but failed to take responsibility. After the incident, Neil scoured the papers looking for news about the man's disappearance, or even the discovery of his grave, which was shallow and close to the road. When no news surfaced, Neil was left to surmise that the man was not cared for by anyone, since nobody even noticed or alerted the authorities about the man's disappearance. This realization adds to Neil's guilt. Neil himself is a person afflicted and lonely in his affliction. He chooses not to tell his friends that he is struggling with terminal cancer, and though he does so with...