The Rest of Our Lives

Tom’s cross-country road trip is an extended metaphor for the theme of Navigating Identity in Middle Age. He leaves home at the novel’s start with the intention of dropping off his daughter, Miriam (Miri), at Carnegie Mellon, staying with his college friend Sam Tierney for the night, and driving back to Westchester County. However, once Tom is on the road, he realizes how reluctant he is to return to his life, particularly because he’s on a forced leave of absence from his job (so he can’t teach for the upcoming term at the law school) and is still contemplating leaving his wife, Amy, in light of her affair 12 years ago. During his drive from Pennsylvania to California, Tom reflects on everything he has experienced and his relationships throughout his life.

Each of Tom’s stops along the road complicates how he sees himself and his impressions of his future. The road trip incites his stream-of-consciousness narration. Like the meandering movements of his mind between the past and present, his movements across the country have little organization. One stop inadvertently leads to the next. When he gets to Sam’s, he decides to travel on to South Bend to see his brother, Eric.