Analysis of Boyle's "Carnal Knowledge"

At the end of T. Coraghessan Boyle’s short story “Carnal Knowledge,” the main character, Jim, feels “plucked and gutted and served up on a platter.” While his intentions for participating in the animal rights campaigns throughout the story were false and insincere, I do not feel that Jim deserved the treatment that he received from Alena at the end of the story.
Throughout the story, Jim is portrayed as just another “typical guy” who will go to all lengths to win over a woman’s heart. In the beginning of the story, Jim tells us how he is currently “between relationships,” and how he is spending his birthday alone on the beach, reading a book and “feeling sorry” for himself. We also learn that he has had the same “dull” job for nearly ten years, and has recently grown to dislike it. Clearly, Jim does not have much going for him at the time, and a girlfriend, or simply someone to spend time with, would be ideal.
Alena then comes along, and Jim...