This paper is an analysis of the theme of alienation in Dagberto Gilb's short story, "Love in L.A." From its ironic title to its sense of continual longing for something "that would even make it better," this brief account of a traffic accident is infused with feelings of separation and disconnectedness.
At the beginning, Jake, the central character, is "slouched" in his car, stuck "in the peculiar gray of concrete, smog, and early morning." The air and time around him are an amorphous mass that put him the mood to muse about the amorphous mass that is his life. Disdainful of those with regular jobs and regular routines, he waits for the traffic light to change while fantasizing about all the improvements his car ought to have and all the benefits those improvements would make.
He is so engrossed in this sense of entitlement that he pays no attention to the intersection. The light turns green, and "he just went ahead and stared bye bye to the steadily employed." He is barely aware of the fact that there is another car in his way; he is, after all, above the little people around him. He even thinks about driving away from the accident, separating himself from the consequences of his alienation from his environment. Ultimately, he stays only because he cannot escape easily.
He is pleased to discover that the damage to his own car in minor, a fact which "stood out as one of his few clearcut accomplishments over the years." He notes this tragic fact, but is unwilling to ruminate on the waste that such an observation represents. He is, after all, above the ordinary people around him.
When he discovers that the beautiful woman driving car in front of him "might present him with an added complication," he is torn between avoiding any responsibility by giving her completely erroneous information and actually connecting with her so he can date her. His evasive impulses win out, but he has a moment when he consi...