The story "Carnal Knowledge" starts on the beach in California where Jim (The main character in the story) is reading a book, when a mongrel dog named Alf empties his bladder on Jim's chest. Then as he gets ready to beat the beast he notices a beautiful woman approaching him. After Alena Jorgensen introduced herself they went to her house so Jim's shirt could be washed. After a night of great sex Jim called off …showed first 75 words of 360 total…

…showed last 75 words of 360 total…being a radical liberalist. All of this was done for a woman that he had just met on the beach. I feel that the author did a fine job showing how stupid and man can be when he thinks he is in love with someone, and he thinks that he is loved back. At least at the end Jim realizes that she doesn't love him and he goes back home, hopefully to a normal life.