Thesis: Frederick Exley ruins his entire life (or at least the section we read about in the book) by his own accord. The general intent of my paper will describe the relationship between Frederick Exley and self-pity. In other words, what I hope to demonstrate in my analysis is that Exley did, in fact, ruin everything good that happened to him, rather than it being fate or others that caused his life to be in such shambles. I will highlight sections of the book that are pertinent to my thesis and use chosen sources to prove my thesis. I will note how Exley seems to mock/pity others for their simple mentalities and “inability to understand him” while at the same time he wants to be like them and to simply feel like he fits in. Also,