Less Is Lost

Rosina—the camper van that Mandern and Arthur use—is a symbol of freedom and adventure. It is clunky, old, and inconvenient. To travel in it, Arthur needs to find special RV camps, and its style draws attention. On the plus side, it survives the hurricane, representing Arthur’s resilience when pushing himself out of his comfort zone. When the van breaks down, Arthur is rescued by his former high school bully, who is now kind. As a result, Arthur realizes that we are all the main characters in our own dramas, with our own struggles that others are not aware of.

Rosina is a gift from H.H.H. Mandern. Rosina has been useful, but Mandern is done with traveling. He is ready to retire and, by implication, die. Mandern gives Arthur free reign of Rosina, implying that Arthur is only on the beginning of his journey. Rosina is a faithful and useful steed as Arthur explores the country and himself.

It’s as though Rosina intuits what Arthur needs. Like Athena, who helps Odysseus in The Odyssey, Rosina assumes the role of a deity who helps Arthur on his quest. In an homage to the great American road trip novel, Rosina allows for travel through several states.