Raymond "Ray" Smith

Ray Smith, the narrator and main protagonist in the novel, is an East Coast beat writer whose published work is gaining national attention. He is about thirty-five years old and has blue eyes, though he is otherwise not physically described in detail. The narration suggests that Ray is probably around six feet tall, in excellent physical condition and possessed of an incredible constitution. Ray is interested in Buddhism and is seeking personal enlightenment. Ray is introduced to mountaineering and camping by a friend, and through the novel, he develops a deep and personal connection with the wild outdoors.

When the novel begins, Ray is primarily interested in drinking, fun, more drinking and sex, living a life of engaged and active dissipation. He is, however, also newly converted to Buddhism and is beginning to espouse a life of asceticism with, perhaps, a Theraveda Buddhist outlook...