Early in the novel, Richard comes home to find a Chevy Blazer, an SUV produced by Chevrolet, in his driveway, which Judith explains is a gift to him. However, Richard knows that they cannot afford the new vehicle, especially considering his tenuous position with the university. When Richard’s conflict with B. J. becomes more immediate, one of Richard’s first thoughts is that he will need to get rid of the Blazer, in addition to potentially selling his home. The Blazer is a symbol, as with many new or expensive purchases, of wealth, but, in Richard’s case, it is also symbolic of his hard work and dedication to his field. Following the evaporating cloud method, it appears that the Blazer is an element of Richard’s definition of success, and it appears to be critically opposed to his role as an associate professor, making it seem that he needs to change his career to consulting to maintain the physical representation of success. However, the flawed assumption in this reasoning is that his hard work cannot amount to financial rewards in academia, which is proven incorrect as Richard gets tenure at the end of the novel.

The Blazer is reinforced by B.