Chapters 1-4 Summary and Analysis

The beginning of the book introduces us to Thursday's family life as well as the political situation of the day. She is married to Landen, a failed writer who works from home. He is currently working on a book called, "Bananas for Edward," but also writes self help books on a variety of strange topics. They are at breakfast discussing the stupidity surplus. In the world of the novel, stupidity is under government control, and when not enough stupidity is used up, there is a surplus. The Commonsense party is currently in control of the government and everyone is discussing different ways to get rid of the extra stupidity. Landen and Thursday get a letter from the Dodo Fancier's Society offering them thirty thousand for their pet dodo, Pickwick, the oldest dodo in existence. They jokingly consider it to...