Many people deal with a type of depression and feelings of ineptitude after graduating college. In his comic novel The Breaks Richard Price depicts an exceptionally dramatic example of one such period in a young man's life. Young Peter Keller is on track to attend law school after graduation when he receives news that he's been waitlisted. Unable to make his dad understand that he doesn't want to become a lawyer, he becomes increasingly frustrated with this waiting period in his life. He is fired from several jobs before finally deciding he must be a screw-up and consequently abandoning all his life ambitions. Peter follows a self-destructive pattern through various misfortunes until the book concludes rather ambiguously regarding his future fate.
Peter is a prime example of what happens to a college undergrad who has not taken the time to attain self-knowledge. Convinced that his dad knew what was best, Peter always believed he would become a lawyer no problem. When, however, he's presented with the amount of work and dedication it will take even to be accepted into law school, he instantly realizes it was a mistake. He will never be a lawyer. This opens him up to a completely vulnerable state of indecision. He's frozen by the amount of career options he now has. Tragically his dad doesn't understand what his son is experiencing internally and begins to over-criticize. Peter rebels by becoming even more listless and and apathetic. The two continue to push each other until Peter finally descends into a seemingly endless spiral of self-destruction.
Ultimately, Peter is responsible for his missed opportunities and failures. He does not communicate with people how he feels and thus suffers from silent resent when his needs aren't met, this is especially true in relation to his dad. When Plan A doesn't work out, Peter is caught unprepared with no Plan B. To a healthy, rational adult this problem would pose an opportunity for redefinition, but Peter takes it as a personal affront and an excuse to give up. He fails ot take responsibility for his actions repeatedly, landing him in a world of hurt and some legal trouble.
