Alienation

The narrative is consistently suffused with dynamics of interpersonal alienation, and through the depiction of these dynamics, the story emphasizes the inherent tragedy of estrangement. The first example of this concept that the story introduces is between Victor and his father. When Victor learns of his father’s death, they have been estranged for years: “Victor hadn’t seen his father in a few years, only talked to him on the telephone once or twice, but there still was a genetic pain, which was soon to be pain as real and immediate as a broken bone” (59). The narrative emphasizes the fact that Victor still feels the pain of loss, and that this pain may be even sharpened by the fact that Victor did not have the chance to know his father better. The story thusly begins with the thematic assertion that squandered interpersonal relationships are an...