David Burr Gerard's Epiphany Machine

The turmoil of a broken family affects people for the entirety of their lives. These consequences penetrate even deeper when there are unknowns involved. For Vender in David Burr Gerard’s Epiphany Machine-- the unknown haunts him. As the search for information on the whereabouts of his mother and the possibility of the terrifying truth of the Epiphany Machine come to a head he must address that sometimes the unknown appears much more comfortable that the truth.

Venter Lowood’s internal battle between the desire for answers but the fear that comes along with the unknown drive him to confront a man that known to have a personal relationship with his mother. While this story contains a conflict between Venter and Adam Lyons, the entire basis

of the story revolves around the deeper turmoil within Venter. The narrator, Venter Lowood, is both the protagonist and antagonist. The cause of the conflict is that his search for truth is not without fear. This section of the story takes place in New York apartment where Adam Lyons lives and the Epiphany Machine does its work. It occurs sometime in the future, we know this because tattoos were outlawed at some point. The truth of the decisions of his mother to leave his grandmother to raise him and the looming opportunity to get an epiphany from the epiphany machine (even though it may ultimately reveal something very negative) and the search into the unknown for it cause him distress.
The dynamics of the characters, both those present in this section of the story and those previously mentioned, help to reinforce the unknown in the story.

There are many bigger pieces to the story in connection to the characters that are left ambiguous. The protagonist Venter Lowood is presumable son of Issac Lowood and Rose Schuldenfrei. The story contains a moment when it is made clear that there is an inkling of suspicion that Adam Lyons may be his father. Seventeen-year-old Venter finds himself on a mission for information about his mother. Rose Schuldenfrei is the mother of Venter and the motivation for the venture to visit Adam Lyons and the Epiphany Machine. She worked with Adam Lyons as his superintendent. After leaving working for Adam Lyons she went on to birth and raise Venter for some period of time. She had one encounter with Lyons after his birth. Issac Lowood is the Father of Venter Lowood. His whereabouts are not made known to the reader but his presence in the life of Venter does not seem. Adam Lyons is not the father of Venter Lowood. He is the owner of the epiphany machine. He comes across as confident but slimy and conniving. He makes it clear that he desired Rose, but nothing ever happened between the two of them. There are many holes of mystery in the weaving together of the characters. Venter is not telling the whole story, to himself or to others. Each character holds their own

secrets.