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...... In the Bukowskis work, language and identity also play an important role. In Chapter 22, the narrator describes his encounter with a boy named Eli LaCrosse. The latter attempts to hide his true nature behind language: He used a cuss word in almost every sentence, at least one cuss word, but it was all fake, he wasn't tough, he was scared. I wasn't scared but I was confused so maybe we were a good pair. In this case, Eli uses language he perceives to be tough in order to hide his true reactions to a world and society he perceives as decidedly hostile. Symbolically, he can be seen as a springboard for the narrators own feelings regarding his place in society: he does not fit well with the requirements of his society or his world. He does not enjoy his interactions with the world around him for a variety of reasons. In addition to self-destructive actions such as drinking and violence, the narrator also connects with outcasts such as Eli much more easily than with the normal children at his school. He does this despite professing that he does not particularly like Eli. However, he identified with his status

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