The Man Who Lived Underground

Among the items that Fred steals and is excited to have in his underground cave is a typewriter he steals from an office. Other than tools and food, it’s the only stolen item he uses for its intended purpose. The cash and jewelry, for example, he uses simply to decorate his cave as neither has any use in the underground. He does fire the gun but aims it at nothing; he fires it simply to experience the sensation of firing it. The typewriter, however, Fred uses to type. He sees it as one of “the serious toys of the men who lived in the dead world” (47) of the aboveground and eagerly types his own name on the paper: “freddaniels.” Later, after forgetting his name, he starts to write the beginning of a story and even takes the time to learn to make spaces on the typewriter: “It was a long hot day” (53). Fred doesn’t understand what he’s typing or why, wanting “merely the ritual of performing” (53) the act of typing, but it’s telling that he doesn’t just type numbers or random words. Instead, he types what could well begin a story, perhaps his own.

Fred loses his own

Unlock all 28 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,550+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App

+ Printable PDF

+ Literary AI Tools

Unlock Full Library