Imagine a taste - a spicy snap and then, suddenly, the interruption of bitterness. It lingers sour in your throat and your first instinct is to protect against experiencing it in the future. That is one’s first impression of Arthur Yates. With an ego rivaling the size of California, few can tolerate his character. He infamy provokes wrinkled noses from acquaintances and narrowed eyes from authority figures; even the tamest of his favorite pastimes end in skirmishes with the law. His god complex causes wild adventures and even wilder drinking stories, but isolates him from normal, sociable individuals. While pride and success may prevail on occasion, the double-edged sword leaves gouges of unfulfillment and loneliness in its wake. His inability to admit wrongdoing further strains any relationship he manages to maintain, and he must shelter himself from the truth of his solitude with indifference. Playboy habits hardly fill the void, but indulgence cannot be withheld in his pitied lifestyle.