The Frustration of Feeling Helpless

The feeling of helplessness is subtly woven into the storyline in such a masterful way that readers don't even recognize how this deep-seeded frustration is actually controlling most of what the narrator chooses to do. The narrator is a foreigner with minimal Bulgarian language skills. This allows him some level of comfort, but it also leads him to depending on Mitko for comfort and friendship. The narrator sought acceptance from his father, who rejected him. He then looked for acceptance from K., who also rejected him. The narrator no longer feels like he has control over the relationships in his life. He no longer feels like he can help himself, which is why he goes out looking for a person who can make him feel helped. The narrator knows that Mitko is simply performing services, but this does not change the fact...