Independent Reading Entry 6

Throughout the book there have been sections where the narrator talks about the woman in the cell next to him and her connection to his ideas for the future. His ideas about how the past is gone and limited by the inability to change it and how the future is infinitely open with infinite possibilities. He constantly is voicing his opinion on today's society and the lack of honor in both genders. But his plan for the future is to begin a new culture where it is easy to tell the honorable men and women from the dishonorable. He plans to (try to) change society to be more defined rather than the milky lines between "lady" and "whore." This idea stems partly from his bitterness towards his wife's cheating but the woman in the cell next to him have had equally if not more troubling experiences that cause her to possibly have the same mentality as him.

The woman is a victim of rape and he describes this experience's effect on her as causing an absolute reversion to innocence. She has become pure from suffering the most impure act inflicted by someone else. Lance had attempted to communicate with her but had been failing because of her numbness and shock after the act until recently in the book farther away from when she had been assaulted. They had a conversation for the first time and he discussed her leaving with him wherever he went after they were released from their rooms. She was open to his ideas and stressed the phrase "new life." They both are connected in that they believe in the future and feel strongly about leaving the past.