Study Guide

The Day of the Locust Chapter 1

By Nathanael West

Chapter 1

Tod Hackett is about to end his workday when a sudden commotion prompts him to look outside his window. What he sees is pretty crazy, if you ask us.
Outside, there's a massive throng of people dressed in antiquated military garb from England and France. This is already confusing. Suddenly, we see a man with a... polo shirt. Huh?
Oh, okay—we're in Hollywood, folks. This is just a film shoot. Turns out that Tod, a painter with a fine arts degree from Yale, has recently got a job as a costume designer.
Tod's also going to make a painting called "'The Burning of Los Angeles'" in the near future (1.8). We guess that's going to be important.
Anyway, Tod has left and is walking down Vine Street. He spends a lot of time observing the weirdos who stroll by, who also happen to provide him with artistic inspiration. He calls them "the people who come to California to die."
Tod had almost quit painting after seeing the reality of the life of an artist. In fact, that's why he took the costume job in the first place.
As he walks home, Tod notices the strange architecture of the city, each building built in a completely different style and one plopped next to the other without rhyme or reason.