Why does the narrator buy himself a virgin for his birthday? Why does he not sleep with the girl? Why does the girl sleep through their encounters? What is the purpose of this? Why does the narrator never speak to the girl? What might this be symbolic of?

Why does the narrator always pay for sex? Why is the narrator proud of this fact? What does this say about the narrator? Why do you suppose the narrator prefers prostitutes to relationships? What does this say about the narrator's first sexual experience? What does this say about the narrator's relationship to his mother?

Why does the narrator attempt to quit his job at the beginning of the novel? How does the narrator's job change as the plot develops? What does this change mean to the narrator? How does this change affect the narrator's opinion of...