The Book of Daniel

In December 1967, Daniel flies to Los Angeles. His hippie-like appearance attracts the attention of the other passengers, who seem to worry that he may “hijack the plane” (317). Since a man with his appearance struggles to rent a car, he takes a cab to a place where he can hitchhike. A teaching assistant named Irvine picks up Daniel in a Volkswagen camper van. Irvine has recently been hired by the University of California. As they drive, Daniel is struck by the natural environment of the state, including the empty spaces. After traveling 3,000 miles, he already feels at home. Irvine takes Daniel to the trailer that he is sharing with three other university employees. Daniel is surprised by the way these men value human feelings. He telephones Phyllis, who is at the Lewins’ house. She mentions that the Lewins cannot understand why Daniel needed to travel to Los Angeles.

Daniel tries to telephone Selig Mindish. Linda, Selig’s daughter, answers the call. She is reluctant to engage with Daniel, lying about her identity and her father’s location. Finally, Daniel explains to her that he wishes to pay his respects to her father. Linda believes that Daniel is arrogant, which makes her resent him.