Less Is Lost

“Could there be some silent audience eagerly awaiting his new novel? Some hidden force unrecognized by the publishing and critical world of New York City, which, like an orbiting space station, looks upon the rest of America without ever interacting with it?”

This captures a writer’s constant anxiety about their career, particularly when they have enjoyed some success like Arthur Less. It also pokes criticism at the publishing industry in New York City, suggesting that New York and the publishing world is out of touch with America. This sets the reader’s expectations up for Arthur’s journey through the U.S; he, a representative of the publishing industry, is also out of touch with America.

“Welcome home indeed, for this Minor American Novelist has been gone a long time from his native land. So long that he now thinks of it, as the salmon must think of the streamlet of her parents when returning to it, as yet another foreign country.”

Arthur’s culture shock when returning to America represents his inability to feel truly at home in any setting. It also foreshadows Arthur’s journey through the United States, where he’ll learn more about his country as a tourist and redevelop an American identity. Greer uses a simile, comparing Arthur to a salmon. The salmon returns home by instinct, following food migration patterns. This implies that Arthur is also guided by instinct.

“But even worse was when I began to suspect a transference, or spiritual possession, in which the soul of Robert Brownburn had moved into the body of Arthur Less.”

Freddy narrates his concern about Arthur emulating Robert. In his relationship with Freddy, Arthur takes on the role of the older literary writer, thus placing Freddy in Arthur’s former role as younger, doting, and lesser. Freddy love Arthur, but here he demonstrates the complexity and challenges of that love.