Point of View

The book is written using first-person narration, but the Narrator has a split personality and speaks of himself in the third person as "Phaedrus" when referencing the period in his life before he underwent a radical psychotherapy called Annihilation ECS. The book is, in part, about him coming to terms with that part of his life and reintegrating his personality to achieve a unified personality capable of dealing with his life roles in a more genuine way. The narration itself fluctuates among descriptions of current events on a cross-country motorcycle trip, descriptions of Phaedrus' life and ideas, and philosophical Chautauquas abounding in digressions. There are also dreamscapes suggestive of inner turmoil.

Setting

The cross country motorcycle trip begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota and features many stops before ending on the California coast near San Francisco. There are campgrounds, motels, restaurants, various towns, and a wide spectrum of...