Essay Questions

How does the protagonist of this story spend most of his time?

Being borne in an influential family comes with its string of advantages and disadvantages. After Clay returns to his hometown after college, he seeks to reunite with his friends including Trent—now a successful model, and Blair his ex-girlfriend. During this time, his life revolves around parties that are highlighted by drugs and alcohol. Throughout the novel, the parties characterized by drugs and alcohol become a favorite pass time event for most of the characters. In this way, to argue that parties were one of the most dominant ways by which the protagonist spent his time would not be far away from the truth.

How is the behavior of Clay’s parents brought out as ironic in the novel?

After Clay returns home from college. He unites with his family and friends and begins a string of parties. In between parties, he goes on a vacation with his parents on which he is haunted by the fact that his grandmother could be dying. In this way, a major concept of irony is brought out in the sense that even though one of their family is dying, his parents have no interest in the same. In a natural circumstance, it would be expected that one would care for their family more than they do for otherworldly things such as the vacation that the family goes on despite their family member being sick and on their deathbed. In this way, Clay’s parents are brought out as quite inhumane and uncaring as well as materialistic.

Contrast the character of Clay from that of his parents as well as the people around him.

Clay is brought out as an individual who is quite humane. For instance, when he goes on vacation with his parents, he becomes disturbed by the fact that his grandmother is dying, an idea that does not seem to bother his parents who are blind to the plight of his grandmother. In this way, his parent’s utter lack of care for what happens to his grandmother shows their egocentricity as well as their value for material things. This fact clearly brings out the blindness of the rich towards other people who are less endowed in society. Additionally, Clay begins to show disinterest and repulsion with the attitudes of his friends. For instance, when Trent screens his film, he becomes disinterested in the same as well as the bad attitude that his friends show. In this way, Clay can be argued as a caring individual.