As far as stories go, I will admit that The Moviegoer has not been one of my favorites. It was well written, I will give it that, but my biggest beef with the story was not its form or its content, but more its leading character. Binx to me was completely unlikeable. I had some extreme issues trying to grasp Binx and his overall make of life. He seemed wishy-washy, fussy, and an overall pain. Plus his attitude towards woman really irked me. It did dawn on me that perhaps I wasn't meant to like this character. After all, not all stories are written so that you grow fond of their characters. Some are flat out meant to annoy. In that sense, Binx did quite well.
Now as for finding what he was looking for, it would have been far easier to determine if the character himself knew what he was looking for. A better job? A different career? A better, lasting relationship? Religion? I was never quite sure what the character was ultimately seeking. If I had to guess, I'd probably settle on an overall understanding of life. It's a basic desire, something most humans at one point or another really try to figure out. Self purpose, why are we here? Maybe Binx was ultimately concerned with his own humanity. After the death of Lonnie it's more painfully obvious example of his mortality.
In the end, I'd decided that Binx had found what he was looking for, although us as readers are not entirely certain what that thing is. The character just simply seemed more at ease, stronger, and prepared. Perhaps he was just adapting. Perhaps he was settling to pick up the place of where his brother left off. Perhaps he had decided to focus on Kate. Either way, I think he found something. There didn't seem to be anymore underlying loathing or prodding questions. Just ease. Whatever Binx found, this ending brought a little hope to a character I wasn't very fond of. Maybe he could be decent after all.
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