Cameron's Observations

The first chapter is really a starting point for the book. The ideas of the "Bright" and "Dark" Worlds begin here but there is a different reaction to it in this chapter than the rest of the book. After this chapter, Emil progresses farther and farther into the 'dark world' but after this it is barely even referred to as the dark world, but simply the gray. Another noticeable change is his reference to his parents. Mother and father are captilized in the beginning, but when he enters the "dark" world they are just mother and father. This is in direct relation to the segment on page 11 where he says he feels he is above his father. Emil has decieved his father and feels superior because of it. This trend continues to the point that by chapter 3 his parents aren't mentioned. In his chapter however, Emil wants to cling to the things of the bright world and home. His mother and father's coats and parcells are mentioned. He feels guilty and that he does not feel fit in this bright world anymore, he is not innocent. Again, just as he felt superior to his father, he takes comfort in the dark world as well and becomes more and more comfortable with it.
In this chapter it makes him sick, this changes. It is important to note that as of this chapter he paints Emil as an ignorant and formerly innocent child. This is a grab at the reader. This allows readers to relate to him. "Yes, I have been in such positions as a child." This is dangerous! It is to let down the shields that protect what enters your mind. It opens you up to his ideas, views and values.
I strongly suggest that you pray while reading this, because it is very easy to be decieved. There is a subtle sales pitch contained in this writing and it becomes heavier as you delve deeper into the book. It is informative to how he thinks though, readers just make heed in the reading and take careful consideration to how that relates to you and how you feel about it. The first chapter is subtle, attention grabbing, and manipulates the reader for what is to come in the rest of the book.