Never Have I Ever Loved, Lived, or Travelled

            The novel Home Land by Sam Lipsyte is composed of letters written by Lewis Minor to his former high school. Lewis’ list of accomplishments is not impressive to say the least, and he is full of sarcasm with a hint of bitterness.  In one particular passage Minor’s former classmate Stacy Ryson points of his lack of success when asking “have you ever traveled, ever loved, ever experienced excitement, ever done anything kind for anyone” on page 29.

            Stacy’s question picks at many of Lewis’ insecurities and fears. I find the stories that Lewis chooses to include in his rebuttal are interesting to say the least. In his first example Lewis talks about a time when Stacy fainted at school and he helped to care for her.  She asked him if he had ever cared for a woman, and he replies “God, I worried for you, Stacy” (page 30). This is one of the rare moments when Lewis lays down his wall of sarcasm and is sincere. Although this short story does show Stacy how Lewis cared for her even though she never noticed him, it also makes him look pathetic. The great detail Lewis used to describe this event shows that he has thought about that moment of interaction with Stacy for many years, even though it was obviously so unimportant to her.

            Lewis also reminds Stacy of the time he asked her on a date and she naturally turned him down (page 30). It is strange that Lewis is willing to acknowledge his past rejection so publically.  Initially I thought his recognition of this rejection was a statement to his acceptance of the situation, my opinion soon changed when Lewis admits that her refusing him cleverly made him “admire (her) all the more” (page 30).  In this story rather than rebutting Stacy’s claim, he is more so strengthening her argument. This story makes Lewis sound desperate and stuck in the past.

            Lewis continues to use examples such as these to refute Stacy’s letter to him. Some of his stories are comical, some bland, but all end up making Lewis seem like a slightly bigger loser. Although he has in fact done kind deeds, loved, and travelled he has had nothing but unfulfilling and painful end results. Although the reader sympathizes with Lewis Minor fairly often, this warm feeling usually wears off when the next sexual innuendo sends shivers down his spine.