risis. Lewis wants to be strong, and he wants to remain young. Lewis wanted to be immortal. He had everything that life could give, and he couldn't make it work. And he couldn'tbear to give it up or see age take it away from him, either(Dickey, 9)Lewis lifts weights and acts the complete stereotype of the testosterone full man. It is he, in the beginning of the adventure, who is in control of the situation. It is he who kills the local who has raped Bobby. However, when Lewis is injured, he becomes the helpless and the dependant. Towards the end of the novel, Lewis is no longer the protagonist, rather he is just another concern for our new hero - Ed. Lewis changes at the end of the novel. All of his ideals are now gone and he no longer wants to be the strong man, he once strived to be.He [Lewis] has changed, too, but not in obvious ways.He can die now; he knows that dying is a better than immortality.He is a human being, and a good one.(Dickey, 277).All of Lewis' dreams of "masculinity" belong to Ed at the end of the adventure. Ed is the one who has proved himself worthy. Lewis, though, has also proved a very important fact to himself; he has proved that he is not immortal. Ed is the narrator of this novel and also the protagonist. At the start of the adventure, he is just a follower of Lewis. He admires Lewis and respects his strength. However, gradually Ed starts to take control. When Lewis is hurt, it is Ed who becomes the protagonist and saves his companions from an agonizing death. Ed, ironically, becomes the hero of this novel.I looked at the dead man. You're dead, Lewis, Isaid to him. You and Bonny are dead. You didn't start on time; you did everything wrong. I ought to takethis rifle and shoot the hell out of you, Bobby, you incompetent*censored*, you soft city country-club man. You'd have been dead,you should've been dead, right about exactly now. You're rightin line, you're going slow, you're just sitin...
