Richard Price's The Breaks 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 struggles to define himself and what he should do with his life. While going through numerous jobs such as telemarketer, postal worker and teacher, it is only when he declares himself a comedian that he manages to define himself. However, is this comic book self-definition true to Peter's characteristics? Would he even be successful as a comedian? The text supports the argument that although Peter has a gift for witty jokes, it is not comical enough nor does it suit his nature to become a comedian. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In part one, Peter has left college and is back with his parents when the reader first sees his doubts and intention to become a stand-up comedian. He sits in his living room and watches Johnny Carson's guest comedian Herman Contardo and thinks about what his friend told him at graduation about becoming a comedian. Peter thought about it and said to himself, “I couldn't be a comedian. A class clown does not make a comedian” (Price 25). He recognizes that it's one thing to make friends laugh in a casual, familiar setting and another thing to be entertained on stage in front of strangers. Yet he seems unable to decide if he's good enough to be a comedian, later declaring: "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; he has to do a routine in front of a crowd. He then says he would “bend like a knife” (Price 25), which foreshadows the reception of his stand-up act in New York. Peter's start in the world of stand-up comedy took place in a New York bar that supported actors, artists and singers taking classes. It's a community of other artists who understand the pressures of entertaining a group of unfamiliar people. It's basically a haven for inexperienced artists. Peter begins by saying, “It’s my first time here” (Price 348), which calmed the crowd. He continues with an awkward explanation of his previous job as a telemarketer, which is not well received by the crowd (given that only one person was laughing), and near the end, he abandons his planned routine and improvises. He directly recounts how he was assaulted, a boundary-pushing subject for most people. After his impromptu routine, the reader might mistake the crowd's applause for approval, but upon close reading it might be seen as an act of pity toward him. He imagines himself watching his own act and declares that “it would be rude not to applaud” (Price352). The bartender didn't accept his money when he ordered a drink and the woman he started talking to "looked pained and awkward." She wanted me to go away” (Price 352). After he told a very personal and controversial story, the crowd seemed sorry for him and gave him praise as some sort of consolation, not because he was exceptionally hilarious. Peter's wit and comic demeanor are most recognized by those close to him. While visiting his old fraternity, Peter meets a current member who knows him as the "funny guy". He remembers his time in the fraternity and how he went from “.