For readers who are familiar with Philip Roth's work, it will come as no surprise that the considerations of the novel extend far past the edges of the character portrait offered. The title is a reminder to interpret the main character as a synecdoche for all men. The name Everyman makes this seemingly literal, concrete story into a metaphor for existence. As an allegory, then, what does the plot mean in terms of reality? That is the question the novel seeks to explore.
For instance, the story of Everyman is offered in contrast with a brother, as if to say everyone has siblings, whether they do or not. The competition of reality, of attention from parents, and even the competition of the marketplace are inextricably linked to life. No one is free from Everyman's fretting confusion about the success of his brother. His envy is a reminder of the questions that competition raises. Why are some people rich and confident while others have emotional struggles that hold them back? Why are some people more naturally competent in the first place? Why should we have to compete in the first place?
The question is flipped on its head when Everyman finally succeeds in a competitive endeavor. He finally lands his dream girl, Phoebe. For all intents and purposes, he has "won the rat race" of romance, finding the person he wants and securing her committed love. How does he respond? In the way "Everyman" would: he realizes that the chase was more important to him than the love was, and he leaves her to chase other women, attempting to regain the feelings of victory and sovereignty that Phoebe's love used to represent, before he got used to her, before she was easy to take for granted.
Ultimately, these competitive questions bring him to the grave of his parents, as life tends to do. Life tends to bring children to the deaths of their parents in time, and then the consideration of life becomes confused. In the beginning, the parents' love represented an ultimate boon, as if it were the favor of God himself. But in light of their mortality, the question remains, why was he so attached to their love in the first place? They are as he is, and as every other man is as well; the competitive nature of reality is rooted in myth.
