N's horoscope

The horoscope N reads in Chapter 1 is a symbol of his delusional thinking and the first clue the reader is given that he is an unreliable narrator. The horoscope declares, "The path between events that may seem unrelated will soon become clear...you will find yourself uniquely positioned to set things in motion" (5). Having read this, N is convinced that it augurs success in his mission to investigate his father's death. The fact that N is taking a newspaper horoscope so seriously should cause the reader to wonder if he is entirely of sound mind.

N's dream (Chapter 1)

The dream N has about his father shooting himself on a bridge in Chapter 1 is a symbol of N's repression of his traumatic memories. The details of the dream relate to N's suicide attempt and his virtually nonexistent relationship with his father, two aspects of his life...