Man Camp

The man camp is located in North Dakota, described by Joe to be "the biggest town for god knows how many North Dakota miles" (94). It was sold to Joe by a recruiter as "Amenities like you wouldn't believe! Better than home! Hassle-free!", and he admits that the camp seems to live up to expectations (95). While life in the camp is clearly difficult and dirty, Joe welcomes the places as an escape from his disastrous past, focusing on his work driving water trucks for the rigs. The scenery of the man camp appears to reflect Joe's tumultuous thoughts, described as "windblown grit scoured his face" but that despite this, he was "happy for the long shift ahead of him, happy to be free from his dreams" (97). Essentially, Joe has purposefully chosen a place to work which is physically reflective of his inner, emotional hardship. Like his memories, the...