Ralph Parker

The narrator of A Fistful of Fig Newtons remains unnamed throughout most of the book. During the first episode, he says to call him Dave, though that's not his name. He chooses to remain anonymous while he reveals a dark underbelly of his life. The narrator is trapped in traffic going through the Lincoln Tunnel, and his mind flits from episode to episode of his life, to fantasies and commentary on society, and back to his situation in the Lincoln Tunnel. The book chronicles the inside of the narrator's mind as he travels the dark path between New York and New Jersey.

During the last episode, the narrator's name is revealed: Ralph Parker. Ralph grows up in a small Indiana town with a group of boyhood friends. Destined to sit in the back of the class, he learns nothing at school. At his much-awaited summer camp, Ralph...