“The Accidental Tourist” by Anne Tyler: Macon writes guidebooks for traveling businessmen, and Muriel trains dogs to have split personality

In the first third of this novel, Macon, the title character, is introduced as a writer of guidebooks that are designed to help traveling businessmen avoid anything that is disturbingly unfamiliar. Muriel is a young women who trains dogs that, like Macon’s, have behavior problems. Macon is separated from his wife. Muriel is divorced. Macon’s son had been a random victim in a mass killing. Muriel’s son has troubles that she has not yet disclosed. In short, both Macon and Muriel fight chaos.

Thus far, apart from the history of trauma, the only possible connections to multiple personality are passing references to Macon’s divided sense of self, and Muriel’s concept of guard dog training as the teaching of multiple personality.

Macon’s Dissociative Identity

“In some odd way, he was locked inside the standoffish self he’d assumed when he and she [his separated wife] first met” (1, p. 51).

Macon appears to be distinguishing between two personalities, a standoffish one that has usually been in control since he first met his wife, and another self, now talking, who has usually been locked inside.

“Macon [who had broken his leg]…almost wondered whether, by some devious, subconscious means, he had engineered this injury…” (1, p. 62).

If a self existed outside of the regular self’s awareness, and it had its own intentions, and it could alter behavior accordingly, it would be an alternate personality.

Muriel teaches “split personality”

“I can do anything,” Muriel told him…“I can even teach split personality.”

“What’s split personality?” [Macon asks.]

“Where your dog is, like, nice to you but kills all others” (1, pp. 92-93).

1. Anne Tyler. The Accidental Tourist [1985]. New York, Berkley Books, 1986.