Although Timothy’s story mostly takes place in the real world, it contains elements of farce. This passage satirizes how scandal helps sell books. Nothing has changed about
Knuckle Sandwich, but as soon as its author becomes a notorious murderer, the book becomes an overnight success. This passage captures people’s fascination with violence, and how, even though many people claim to dislike violence, they can’t look away from it. As is often the case in the novel, violence and greed are interconnected.