The Breaks by Richard Price details the life of Peter Keller, a troubled young man fresh out of college trying to find his calling in the world. Throughout the novel Peter has difficulty defining himself and what he should do with his life. While transitioning through many jobs as a telephone salesman, post office clerk, and teacher, it is only when he declares himself a comic that he achieves a certain self-definition. However, is this comic self-definition faithful to Peter's characteristics? Would he also have been successful as a comedian? The text supports the thesis that, although Peter has a talent for witty jokes, it is not comical enough or suited to his nature to become a stand-up comedian. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Part One, Peter has finished college and moved back in with his parents when the reader first sees his doubts and contemplation of becoming a comedian. He sits in his living room watching Johnny Carson guest comedian Herman Contardo and reflects on what his friend told him at graduation about becoming a comedian. Peter thinks about it and says to himself, “I couldn't be a comedian. A class clown is not a comedian” (Price 25). It recognizes the fact that it's one thing to make friends laugh in a casual, family setting and another thing to entertain on stage in front of strangers. Yet he seems unable to decide whether he's good enough to be a comedian, later stating: “I was Speedo, fast as fuck. I could always make people laugh if the time and place were right” (Price 37). But to be a successful comedian, he can't rely on a certain time or place to make jokes; must perform a routine in front of a crowd. He then says he would "bend like a switchblade" (price 25), which foreshadows the reception of his stand-up routine in New York. Peter's debut in the world of stand-up comedy takes place in a New York bar that supports actors, artists and singers who are taking lessons. It's a community of fellow entertainers who understand the pressures of entertaining a group of unfamiliar people. It is essentially a safe haven for inexperienced animators. Peter starts by saying, “This is my first time up here” (price 348), which filled the crowd. He continues with an awkward explanation of his previous employment as a telemarketer, which is not well received by the crowd (considering only one person was laughing), and towards the end he abandons the planned and impromptu routine. He goes straight into the story of how he was molested, a topic that drives most people. After his improvised routine the reader might mistake the crowd's applause for approval, but upon careful reading it might be seen as an act of pity towards him. He imagines himself watching his own show and states that “it would be rude not to clap” (Price352). The bartender didn't accept his money when he ordered a drink, and a woman he started talking to “seemed distressed and embarrassed. He wanted me to leave” (price 352). After telling a very personal and controversial story, audiences seemed to feel sorry for him and gave him accolades as a sort of consolation, not because he was exceptionally funny. Peter's wit and comical behavior are mostly recognized by people close to him. After visiting his old frat house, Peter meets a current member who knows him as the "funny guy". He recalls his time in the frat and how he graduated from "Class Clown to Insult Comic, bringing everyone down with deadly impersonations".