A modern day Gospel story
The recent present.
The unnamed protagonist, a speech writer, is on a journey, seeking a way back to an imagined home.
Along the way, he encounters a series of different people, disciples of a sort, who befriend him and whom he befriends.
The protagonist is successful in his job but does not enjoy it.
He is working for The Man, a mysterious and only indirectly encountered figure, who is seeking election to a position of power.
The election campaign is an important context for the plot development.
The protagonist, like many of the characters, illustrates symbols of success (wealth, confidence, intelligence) while experiencing a deeper alienation.
The characters consume large amounts of illegal drugs (sometimes only alluded to) which, in keeping with one of the important themes of the Gospels, clouds the distinction between Appearance and Reality (this world and the next). Indeed, as in the Gospels also, attempts to communicate a series of dualities are an important part of the narrative.
The idea of this story as a modern-day Gospel is an increasingly clear underlying theme.