Robert's Death

In Less is Lost, Greer utilizes Robert’s death as a symbol for the death of Less’s sense of normalcy. At the outset of the novel, Less is living in the Shack with Freddy and continuing to turn to his ex-boyfriend for support. He lives in a fear of abandonment and holds resentment against his father who abandoned the family when Less was a child. When Robert dies, Less is forced to take literary gigs that redirect his travels across the United States. Without his ex-boyfriend’s presence, Less must revaluate how he approaches love and his sense of self.

The Flag Stickers

The American flag stickers, that Less pastes on the outside of the conversion van, serve as a symbol for his desire to obscure his identity. Before Less travels to the South, he fears that he will face homophobic attacks. He wants...