Violence
Narratives of raw, jarring violence abound in the novel which is unsurprising as one of the themes of the novel is the relationship between power and violence. The imagery of violence increases in frequency and severity as Rojack descends further into madness. Perhaps more shocking is that descriptions of brutality are often followed up with accounts of the character feeling satisfied, as if having finished doing something worthwhile or noble.
Sex
There are several descriptions of lurid sex in the novel—often uncomfortably close at the heels of an act of violence. Again, this is unsurprising as one of the themes of the novel is the relationship between power, violence, and sex. Sex and Violence are both acts involving dominance and submission, i.e. it is still a relationship of power and it is one that Rojack pursues with as much gusto as his indulgence in mindless violence.
The Supernatural/Unnatural Occurrences
The descriptions of supernatural events or just plain strange situations pepper the novel. The narratives mentioning these unnatural events start from recollections of Rojack’s traumatic experiences during World War 2 and gradually increase in frequency as his life spirals downwards. The increasing frequency of these strange and often unexplainable occurrences can be interpreted due to Rojack’s questionable sanity and since this seems to have begun during his frequent brushes with death during the war it can also be inferred that he may be suffering from some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Boredom
Rojack has done it all and then some. Based on what mainstream American culture says Rojack should be one of the happiest, most fulfilled humans on Earth as he has achieved “The American Dream” several times over. This isn’t the case at all as there are several internal dialogues in the novel that describe a very deep and very profound sense of boredom that Rojack suffers from. Rojack tries to use sex and violence to validate his masculinity and give meaning and vibrancy to his life. Unfortunately the thrill it provides is short-lived at best and he is back to the crushing sense of boredom with nothing to give him relief.
