The Hypnotists

“It was more vivid than a daydream. For a moment he actually saw himself through the glass of the windshield, growing larger and larger as the bus bore down on him.”

This quote describes Jax’s first vision in the novel as he hypnotizes the bus driver. The parallel construction of the sentence locates Jax as both subject and object, showing how the hypnotic experience connects to Jax’s inner conflict and requires him to engage more deeply with himself. By the end of the sentence, the subject of the sentence becomes muddled, mimicking the way Jax is losing control of his abilities.

“He labored to get his breathing under control. ‘How weird was that?’”

This quote highlights the extreme and illogical nature of Jax’s powers. The hypnotic experience has physical consequences for Jax as he feels fearful and tries to regain control over his body. His ordinary language emphasizes his current inability to comprehend his abilities, as he desires to maintain a semblance of normalcy and connection with his friend.

“Miss, miss, miss!”

This line represents the way Jax’s accidental hypnotic suggestions work before he understands his powers. The command for a sports opponent to miss seems like an ordinary example of the kind of language sports participants and spectators use to signify their hopes for a play or a game. Jax does not believe that saying these words will cause Rodney to miss. However, when he repeats them emphatically, it ironically invokes his power.