The Protagonist

The name of the novel’s protagonist and narrator is never stated, but the entire narrative is conveyed from his perspective. He has lived in the suburbs of Cleveland since child, and he was raised by wealthy parents. His parents appear to be highly permissive despite the protagonist’s erratic behavior and poor life choices.

In his late teens, the protagonist sells illegal drugs in order to make extra money, and he befriends various young men who exhibit behavior equally erratic to his own. The protagonist attends college briefly and begins a relationship with a young woman named Emily. He soon fails out of school and decides to join the army in hopes of finding discipline and direction in his life. During the rigors and humiliations of basic training, the protagonist quickly regrets his decision to enlist.

He eventually deploys to Iraq. During his deployment, he becomes...