Before the Curtain

• The narrator introduces himself as "the Manager of the Performance" (i.1) and describes the world he is going to show the reader as an enormous fair. Insert flashing neon sign blinking "Allegory, Symbolism – Pay Attention!" here.
• The narrator describes his characters as puppets (the most famous is the Becky Puppet) and the novel as a really good show that is making a world tour to much acclaim.