Authenticity vs. Artificiality

One of the main tensions in the novel is the protagonist’s desire to regain a sense of reality and immediacy; the novel first establishes this tension by exploring the idea of alienation versus fulfillment. After the accident, the protagonist feels various forms of being alienated from himself and the world, and one of these forms is physical. Through physical therapy, he must relearn how to move his body, but even after he does so, he feels unnatural and artificial in his movements: “No Doing without Understanding: the accident bequeathed me that forever, an eternal detour” (23). He feels a similar sensation regarding his relationship to the world in general, as he no longer feels directly connected to his surroundings or to reality. On a thematic level, these dynamics represent the often relatable struggle for a sense of meaning and purpose in life.

When the...