To start with the analysis of this hypertext I would like to briefly resume the main points of this story. First of all, this narration is in fact several different but connected stories. They coincide in some points of the action, but still having an isolated structure. The stories might be resumed in five, according to their distribution in five different pages.
Silam Paley is an entrepreneur who lives in Cincinnati. One of his scrabble factories, located in Korea, is reporting high benefits. Problems begin when workers assemble against their  conditions. In order not to raise salaries, some are fired and  complete silence is imposed on the rest. As a boycott workers live thousands of sets unfinished. All miss letter E. Silam becomes depressed and forgetful. His collapse comes when he is unable to properly communicate, he forgets letter e in his speeches.
Young-Li Kim is a brilliant student in Korea. His father sends him to the USA so he can improve his abilities in maths and internet. The problem is he cannot speak English but he refuses to learn, as all he needs are maths, that is zeros and ones. He is so worried about studies he has no contact with people. Finally he fails all his exams and has a nervous breakdown , he cannot speak, cannot even tell who he is. All he can say is  “zero”.
Darren Jakobsen is a wealthy landlord. After evicting his tenants he gives a party with his friends and wife. After the meeting he and his wife die burnt due to a malfunction in their Jacuzzi.
Robert Sullivan works for HMO. He is upset by the death of his friend Darren and does not pay attention to his job. He denies insurance to a man who  has a liver disease and to Victoria, a woman poisoned at work. He dies poisoned with  food consisting on liver and onions.
Victoria Washington has problems with her landlord, she is about to be evicted. The reason is a delay in her payment. Her illness is caused by chemicals at work so she asks the risk manager, Ward Callahan, for workers compensation. When talking to him he is attacked by a raccoon
In short, this story tells us about the tragedy of five people. Two of them (Young-Li and Silam) lose their ability to communicate and, as a result,  their personality. Other two are killed as a punishment or an irony of life and destiny (Robert and Darren). And the last two ones have less serious but still distraught ends (Ward is attacked, Victoria is evicted)
In my analysis I will try to point out the purposes of the writer in these stories. William Gilespie writes a cruel but sincere depiction of America’s upper classes through the contrast with lower ones (settled in the character of Victoria). The point of view issued from the reading of this hypertext is that of a society marked by insensitivity, hypocrisy and individualist. These are the main denounces of this text.

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Academic year 2001/2002
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
©Elena Martínez Fernandez
Universitat de València Press
emarfer@alumni.uv.es