The story chronicles the bi-polar rants of David Rivers, a mentally unstable substitute teacher. Rivers is most likely an unreliable narrator in most instances and is thought to be a cipher of various hypocrisies in human nature. He ruthlessly condemns other characters for personality traits he claims to find unbearable and usually exemplifies the same traits moments later. The way in which Rivers sees the world is most likely a metaphor for the way the world actually is. For instance, Rivers witnesses Charles, one of Rivers co-workers who lives a loose, decadent life-style, transforms slowly into a gigantic gila monster and then bites himself with deadly venomous fangs. Later Rivers overhears other characters mention that Charles killed himself.
