The Virtue of Vices – By Jeremy McShurley

Like her sister cities throughout Middle America, White River City has seen better days. The once great factory chimneys sit blighted and dormant. While across the river, the Princemoore family’s influence continues to thrive as the tendrils of corruption grow. Yet somehow, White River City lumbers forward, its citizens’ lives tangled up in a tapestry of reality; woven by the threads of Fate, and sewn by the needles of their unconscious passions. This novel is presented alphabetically. You may read the chapters in any order. There is no incorrect way to read this book. This is a novel for adults.

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Character Analysis

   November 29, 2024

I. Core Themes & Concepts:

  • The Juxtaposition of Vice and Virtue: The book explicitly defines various vices, suggesting an exploration of how these negative traits influence the lives of individuals. The title itself hints at the idea of finding something good within these vices or using them to define human nature. Each definition is followed by narrative examples that are not always a direct interpretation of the meaning, but rather a character study or situation influenced by the vice.
  • Human Fallibility: The excerpts emphasize that human beings are flawed, prone to making mistakes, driven by various desires (both noble and base), and often act in contradiction to their own best interests. This fallibility is presented with a mix of humor and pathos.
  • Interconnectedness of Society: The characters inhabit the same city and often interact (directly or indirectly), illustrating a web of relationships that underscores the impact of individual actions on the community. This creates a community setting in which characters can and do affect one another even if they never directly interact.
  • Critique of societal norms: The story delves into the negative consequences of traditional ideologies, organized religion, societal pressure, and interpersonal relationships. The characters all exist within the confines of the world but struggle with the definitions and expectations that these ideologies create.
  • The power of societal expectations: Characters grapple with familial expectations, religious dogma, and personal aspirations. These create situations that allow the characters to explore the parameters that these expectations set for them. The societal expectations often put characters on divergent paths from one another, despite living in the same community.

II. Vices & Associated Characters/Situations:

Here’s a breakdown of each vice defined in the table of contents, along with relevant characters and situations from the excerpts:

  1. Addiction: (Definition: Inability to disengage from repetitive and/or harmful activities or stimuli)
  • Character/Situation: Officer Grant Carroll’s excessive drinking at the bar with his partner. He is served by Clint, who despite being a bartender is concerned by Carroll’s state and behavior. “You got a ride home, Grant?” Clint asks. This scene highlights the inability to stop an activity, even when aware of the negative consequences. The definition also suggests that this might not be just a substance related issue, and that it can also be related to actions and behaviors.
  1. Gambling: (Taking actions of chance with the hope of a desirable outcome)
  • Character/Situation: A poker game among friends where one of them, Dave, says “I believe I’m whipped” after losing some money to his friends. This simple act highlights how the act of gambling (or playing poker) is related to the hope of winning, but also the risk of losing.
  1. Hoarding: (Compulsive acquisition and storage of objects that have little to no purpose or utility)
  • Character/Situation: The character of Reggie, also known as Zulu Omega, who has filled his home with various useless items and “junk.” It is revealed through dialogue that this might be related to his revolutionary past where he worked to give back to those that had nothing.
  • Quote: “Reggie, well, Zulu Omega, spent most of his life trying to give to those who had nothing. He looked around and saw homes overflowing with useless and unused things… I think he just didn’t know what else to do with his life.”
  • Kim’s initial frustration with Reggie’s hoarding transforms into respect and understanding of his actions.
  1. Indecency: (Behavior that is obscene, improper, or outside of the standard social norms)
  • Character/Situation: Dan’s inappropriate behavior toward a server while drunk at the bar and his subsequent removal by a bouncer.
  • Quote: “How about I let you sit on my sword +8? As in eight inches,” Dan wobbles a bit with his last sentence. This quote is a clear example of indecent behavior and is immediately followed by the server removing him from the bar.
  • Dan’s fantasy world of “Sir Devaleus” is an attempt to escape from his indecent actions and feelings that he can’t control.
  • The scene also highlights Dan’s general inability to act appropriate, even when he has planned to do so. His desire to talk to Gretchen creates the opportunity for his indecent behavior.
  1. Jealousy: (Exhibiting signs of distrust or feelings of suspicion over the fidelity of one’s partner)
  • Character/Situation: Maria’s accusations against her husband, Grant, due to a mysterious phone number on his phone. Her insecurity is fueled by the fact that “she had been questioning his whereabouts more and more often of which he explained away as having some drinks after work.”
  • Quote: “Who is she, Grant? Who the fuck is she?” Maria Carroll shouted at her husband from across the living room.”
  • Maria’s insecurities lead to her own infidelity later in the story.
  1. Lust: (Feeling an intense and extreme sexual desire for someone or possibly something)
  • Character/Situation: Dan’s obsession with his coworker, Gretchen. He fixates on her appearance, is unable to hold a conversation with her, and spends time thinking of his sexual desires for her.
  • Quote: “The thoughts of cold made him think of the effect it would have on her nipples.” This shows the intensity of Dan’s lust that can be seen even in everyday conversation.
  • This theme is juxtaposed with the theme of fantasy, which shows the depths of Dan’s obsession and highlights the inability to act in real life as he does in his fantasies.
  1. Materialism: (Not directly explored in the provided excerpts.)
  2. Narcissism: (Psychological desire to be the center of attention often at the expense of others)
  • Character/Situation: Caleb Brown, the lead singer of Caleb Brown and the Skunk Munkies, is portrayed as a man who believes in his own importance and tries to cultivate a persona.
  • Quote: “My spirit has come here to bring a message through song. It is why I am here and why I am adored. For my spirit has come before, and it will come again.” This illustrates Caleb’s self-importance.
  • Caleb manipulates Amanda into believing that she is special, echoing her own desire to be unique.
  • The theme of narcissism is juxtaposed with the real-world efforts of Josh, a paramedic, who is also at the show.
  1. Obstinacy: (Not directly explored in the provided excerpts.)
  2. Promiscuity: (Participating in sexual relations with multiple partners either casually or indiscriminately)
  • Character/Situation: Maria’s active participation in a webcam chat room where she has explicit acts with other people for financial gain. This highlights a promiscuous life, even though she has a husband.
  • Quote: “Don’t worry, boys. There’s enough of this to go around.”
  • Brent’s decision to have sex with Maria, even after knowing that she was married, illustrates the willingness to participate in promiscuous behavior.
  1. Rage: (Not directly explored in the provided excerpts.)
  2. Spite: (Not directly explored in the provided excerpts.)
  3. Venality: (Willingness to take bribes or sell one’s services for the purpose of advancing a personal agenda)
  • Character/Situation: The introduction of “D.T.” implies that someone in a position of authority (likely a police officer) might be willing to abuse their power.
  1. Wastefulness: (Mindless or careless expenditure of one’s own time or resources)
  • Character/Situation: Laurie’s father’s excessive purchasing of snacks for her slumber party. This is combined with the “junk” in the neighbor’s apartment that Laurie sees as an example of wastefulness.
  1. Zealotry: (Uncompromising devotion to a certain religious, political, or other ideological belief)
  • Character/Situation: Justin Harlowe’s extreme religious beliefs and attempts to convert others, along with the stockpiling of weapons with the church.
  • Quote: “Save me, Lord Jesus! Take away my sin and protect me from Satan,” Justin cried out as he stumbled forward, feeling the Holy Spirit pulling him towards Mother Laura. This demonstrates Justin’s zealous behavior.
  • The theme is further enhanced by the fact that Justin’s church members have stockpiled large supplies of resources for the apocalypse.

III. Key Characters & Relationships:

  • Dan: A workaholic with a hidden fantasy world who becomes obsessed with a coworker, Gretchen. He struggles with social interactions and expresses inappropriate desires.
  • Gretchen: An office assistant who is outgoing and friendly, serving as the object of Dan’s lust.
  • Officer Grant Carroll & Maria Carroll: A married couple with marital struggles. Grant’s drinking and Maria’s jealousy cause them to lead separate lives. Maria also partakes in sexually explicit webcam chats with anonymous viewers and has an affair with Brent.
  • Clint: A bartender who attempts to make responsible decisions.
  • Kim: A healthcare worker who cares for people with compassion and is the girlfriend of Josh.
  • Josh: A paramedic who is also on his way to becoming a doctor, showing a commitment to helping others and finding meaning in his community. He also serves as the positive counterpart to the characters who embody the “vices” in the novel.
  • Reggie (Zulu Omega): An older gentleman with a revolutionary past, exhibiting hoarding behavior.
  • Nick Stone: A man who is of high political standing that actively seeks to act differently from his family. He befriends Reggie.
  • Caleb Brown: The narcissistic lead singer of a band.
  • Amanda: An admirer of Caleb Brown, who seeks to be unique.
  • Dave: A friend of Dan’s and a magician who appears as Mystical Dave. He serves as an enabler for Dan’s bad behavior, but he is also looking out for his friends.
  • Peter: A man who appears to be friends with the doctor.
  • Laurie: A young woman on a date. She lives with her father and is a friend of Maria’s.
  • Current Resident: Laurie’s dad’s neighbor who is a cop.
  • Brent: The sound guy for Caleb Brown’s show, who has an affair with Maria.
  • Justin: A zealous Christian who attempts to convert people and stockpiles weapons.

IV. Significant Events/Plot Points:

  • Officer Carroll’s Drunkenness: Sets a scene of a character unable to control his addiction.
  • Dan’s Indecent Actions: Demonstrates the inappropriate behavior that the character Dan exhibits.
  • Reggie’s History as Zulu Omega: Reveals the motivations behind his hoarding and demonstrates the changing views and behaviors that people have through time.
  • Maria’s Jealousy and Infidelity: Demonstrates the consequences of her feelings in the relationship with her husband.
  • Dan’s Obsession with Gretchen: Demonstrates his inability to control his lust and shows the consequences of those desires.
  • Caleb’s Narcissistic Behavior at the Concert: Highlights the self-importance of a character while drawing parallels to others in the story who act against the community norms.
  • Josh’s Work as a Paramedic: Highlights the compassion and effort that some members of the community put forth in the story.
  • Justin’s Religious Zealotry: Demonstrates the negative impacts of extreme beliefs on individuals and the community.
  • Peter’s encounter at Caligula’s Parlor: This event highlights promiscuity and drug use in the story.