ed of tinfoil on his head to prevent people from reading his mind. Thomas was admitted to the minimal security institution, Settle, and was released two years later as medication was keeping his disease what the doctors claimed to be under control. "I went down to see Thomas and I found him sitting there paralyzed and glassy-eyed, his tongue sticking out of his mouth, his shirt front sopping with drool." (50) A few times Dominick had suspicions that the doctors just increased his dose of medicine so that they did not have to deal with him. Upon his release, Thomas stationed himself in the public library and cut off his right hand as a sacrifice to God. During his amputation, he chanted, "and if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out from thee, and if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off and cast it from thee." (5) Thomas was admitted to a maximum security institution, Hatch Forensic Institute, where Dominick fears for his brothers safety as he has been informed that a few of the patients have been raped and there is an outbreak of the HIV virus in the hospital. Because of Thomas' act of self-mutialiation, he has no choice and must remain institutionalized as he is a threat to himself, "He's potentially violent," (48) and possibly to others. Again, Dominick feels that he is helpless as he is aware his brother may be in danger, but knows he cannot do anything to help. Thomas' condition worsens as he remains in the institution. At that time, Dominick was a teacher at a high school, but had to put his career on what was (supposed to be) a temporary hold. The stress he was caused by his brothers admittance caused him to break down in tears while teaching one of his classes. "I never went back to teaching either. I couldn't. How can you cry in front of a bunch of teenagers one week and go back the next" (222) Dominick even sacrifices his career for his brother Thomas. Dominick is in another relationship after his divorce of s...
