Sex :-)

As the narrator and Mr. Norton stop to hear Jim Trueblood's story, they realize they are receiving the most detailed description told by the antagonist of the story himself. Trueblood explains to them, "There I was, tryin' to git away with all my might, yet having to move without movin'. I flew in but I had to walk out. I had to move without movin'." (59) While explaining the debacle that occurred with his daughter, Matty Lou, Trueblood describes his situation as similar to being frozen in time during an uncomfortable sexual experience. The use of emphasis on the word without clarifies his troublesome position in which he has no thought of how to mend. He also explains how quickly and easily he found himself in the dilemma, even though he cannot escape the situation as freely as he entered. Although Jim's actions were harmlessly meant, the end result was nothing but guilt. Ellison's use of Jim's innocent explanation of such a terrible act presents readers with the opportunity to empathize with Trueblood, even though characters in the book do not.