Chapter 3 and 4 Summary and Analysis

Chap. 3, p. 33—Richard is born in 1940 in a mining town in Pennsylvania. He recalls his maternal-grandfather who is short, a miner and a bar brawler. Richard remembers being independent and cutting school, going through a dangerous railroad tunnel to take a swim. Later, the mines shut down and Richard's family has to move to New Brunswick, NJ. There are fights in the family in a small apartment, and Richard spends a lot of time on the streets. He does odd jobs, tries to avoid school, and works in a luncheonette. He meets Rutgers University students and girls. Richard gains a steady girlfriend, a better restaurant job and quits school.

Richard then tries to join the military, but he is told to get his high school diploma. Then after a relaxing summer in 1958, he enlists in the Navy. Richard...