Summary Of Acceleration By Graham Mcnamee

When someone thinks of a hero, what traits first come to mind? Most think of traits such as kindness, selflessness, and loyalty; traits lacking in the protagonist of Graham McNamee’s novel Acceleration, Duncan. In Duncan’s pursuit of justice and stopping Roach, the owner of the morbid journal Duncan finds, from causing further harm, he puts aside everything that should have been his main focus. Duncan is no hero, because he takes the law into his own hands, is reckless, and does not trust in his friends, showing selfish and unethical behavior not at all reflective of heroism. Firstly, Duncan takes the law into his own hands. He breaks into Roach’s house for clues, breaking and entering, and he even thinks, “I’d almost feel guilty about breaking in, but I know some of the things she

During their altercation, Duncan thinks, “I stumble and fall off the edge of the platform, hitting the tracks hard and knocking what little wind I had left out of me.” (McNamee 191) He and Roach were fighting extremely close to the tracks, and Duncan must not have been thinking about that fact, as if he was standing further away from the edge, he would have been able to stall Roach until someone noticed them fighting and stepped in to help. Additionally, he goes against a potential serial killer with no help. Where’s Wayne in the World? The question flickers through my brain, but there’s no time to think. It’s just me and Roach now.” (McNamee 188) It only flickers through his mind; he was not too concerned with the fact that he was alone with Roach. He could have retreated into a gas station or convenience store, asked for help from a bystander, and taken one of the infinite amount of better choices he could have made instead of choosing to fight Roach alone for his egotistical idea of heroism. Heroes consider how their actions affect others, including how their injuries might affect others, knowing they have someone to live for, people that care about them