Learning Paths » 5A Interacting
In the first chapter of the novel we have a speaking voice that narrates the story. The intelligent reader understands that the speaking voice is the main character of the book because it is written in a first person narrator.
Reading the book the reader recognizes that the protagonist is working at a project: he wants to record he thoughts so he can describe their structure.
He bought his record player in San Diego, during a conference so the reader understands that Ralf (the name of the protagonist) travels a lot; during the conference he met a girl: Isabel Hotchkiss.
Later in the book, the reader understands that Ralf is alone in his office at university's campus on Sunday morning. He remembers when he had have sex with Isabel; in a second he changese argument and he thinks about sex and meat and the fact that they are dangerous, because you may contract AIDS or BSE.
The reader, reading the first chapter, is attracted by the change of arguments, as a matter of fact the author uses a particular literal technique called "stream of consciousness " to express the protagonist's thoughts. The literal technique was introduced by William James, an American psychologist and philosopher who lived in the 19th century.