Part 1 Summary

          Before summarizing what I have read so far in this book it is first important to understand the nature of the story in general. In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, author Robert Pirsig transcends the labels of genre and creates a unique voice of his own. Although published as a novel, Zen is truly a semi-autobiography that focuses heavily on personal philosophical thought. It creates a thin, sometimes indistinguishable line between the fiction and non-fiction within. This is clearly the intention of Pirsig and it makes for a particular tone that is very interesting and enjoyable to read.
          The story begins with, and revolves around a motorcycle trip taken by the unnamed narrator and his 11-year-old son, Chris. They are accompanied by two longtime friends, John and Sylvia Sutherland. They begin their trip in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ride across the northern United States, through the Dakotas and into Montana. The narration of the trip is often discoursed with soliloquies of personal reflection on philosophy of values. According to the narrator, some of his views of the world differ dramatically from those of the Sutherlands. He uses the idea of motorcycle maintenance as a simplified analogy of ways to view the world. The narrator himself himself rides an old beat up bike and takes meticulous care of the machine, teaching himself how to maintain and repair it. John and Sylvia on the other hand had recently bought a newer, more expensive motorcycle and go to great lengths to avoid fixing it themselves, only trusting such a machine to trained professionals. The narrator likens this difference in opinion to world views on a grand scale. While the Sutherlands only appreciate surface value of an object or idea, the narrator appreciates the analytical value; they see what something is, he sees what something means.
          The narrator continues to discuss his philosophical beliefs and goes on to produce some surprisingly deep thoughts which he later admits are not his own, but belong to an individual by the name of Phaedrus. Phaedrus is introduced as an obscure man who no longer exists. As we read on, it is revealed by the narrator that Phaedrus and himself were two personalities who wore the same body. The narrators recalls waking up in a psychiatric hospital and being informed that he "has a new personality". Although he has never met Phaedrus, as they had existed at different times, the narrator does possess many memories and ideas from his former self. As they group rides through one specific town in Montana, the narrator has a strange recognition of the place, though he does not recall ever being there. He knows that he has in fact not been there, but that Phaedrus has. The narrator is especially bothered by the fact that the body he now possesses was the former home of another personality and because of this fact, he knows he can never escape Phaedrus.
          This book so far has been one of the more compelling books I have ever read. Although the plot is deliberately foggy and much of the content is overwhelmingly profound, I find myself anxious to continue reading as I know I will uncover an incredible story. It is especially interesting to attempt to decipher the truth that lay within. I have found much of the events that the author describes to be factually based. Just as Phaedrus is described as intellectually advanced, Pirsig himself was especially smart from a young age, with an IQ of 170. Furthermore, Pirsig was diagnosed with schizophrenia and cured through electroconvulsion, much like the treatment the narrator underwent to rid himself of his alter ego.