Part 1, Wednesday, Section 1, p. 1-20 Summary

Fourteen-year-old Martyn Pig is faced with some difficult choices in the aftermath of his brutal father's accidental death. Those choices are complicated by, among other things, relief at being free from Dad's tyranny, a degree of guilt over that relief, the flirty mysteriousness of the girl next door, the blackmailing machinations of her repulsive boyfriend, and the sudden appearance of a large sum of money. As the narrative explores the moral ambiguities associated with both Martyn' situation and his decisions, it also explores issues related to becoming an adult and the allure of freedom.

The narrative begins with Martyn's comment that he doesn't really want to start his story from the very beginning, since he doesn't really remember much about his life before his mother left.. He describes the difficulties of living with his name...