Threat of Violence
While not much actual violence occurs in the novel, Price does hint at it a great deal. Peter is the main aggressor. From illicit drug deals to bomb threats, he loses his respect for the law and civil decency. When Peter takes up with Kim, he opens the both of them up to the violent wrath of her husband Tony. Peter uses Kim as an outlet for his internal self-loathing. He abuses her in bed, only to turn face and comfort her, much to her secret satisfaction. He is not a fair match, however, for Tony and soon abandons the couple to their own problems. Throughout the book Peter chooses the easy way over the integrity-guided option, which often results in threatened violence and the resulting consequences. He receives back from the universe what he himself projects.
Self-destruction
Needless to say, Peter is on a path which inevitably leads to self-destruction. Unwilling to live up to his dad's high expectations, he resents his father's constant pushing and criticism. He gives up on his other family members -- especially his stepmom -- before even giving them a shot at a healthy relationship with him. Following his impulse, he begins to drink excessively and do cocaine. He stays out for days at a time to avoid conflict with his family. When he can't avoid a social obligation, he starts calling in bomb threats to the established meeting places. This lands him with a hefty probation sentence, crushing his spirits but somehow giving him exactly the motivation he needs to fall even further. As he's presented with various job opportunities, he works half-heartedly and amuses himself by having sex with older married women and hitting on his students. From one job to the next he ignores opportunities of growth, preferring to move on before he is obliged to become thoroughly invested.
Daddy Issues
The concept of "daddy issues" appears a couple of times in the novel in different forms. First off, Peter cannot live up to his dad's expectations, or chooses not to do so. He grows to resent his dad for believing in him, intentionally disappointing the old man. Whenever Daddy criticizes, Peter rushes out to prove him right. He starts on a rapid decline after getting fired from the post office where his dad works and blames him for his problems every step of the way. The second example is Kim. Kim wakes up one day to find herself aging, married to a man she hates, and loathing herself for getting this far in life without doing anything she really cares about. Doubtless stemming from a broken relationship with her own father, she finds solace in sadomasochism. She leaves her husband but does not divorce him as he still wants to save the marriage. She begins to serially date younger men who treat her badly and use her for sex. The awful truth is that this is exactly what she was looking for. She uses their abuse as an excuse to feel bad for herself and then takes great personal satisfaction when the young men fawn over her in an attempt to apologize for their roughness. Both Peter and Kim deal with the pressures of disappointing their dads in different ways, but both allow it to become an excuse for self-loathing and generally unethical decisions.
Unemployment
Peter spends most of the novel job-hopping. After earning his undergrad degree, he expects to wind up in law school but is waitlisted, instantly deflating his aspirations. Peter then sets out on an endless string of occupations: application, failure, termination. He works as a blue collar worker in the fashion district before moving on to telemarketing. His dad gets him a job at the post office where he works. After being fired from that job, he really dives off the deep end. He winds up serving probation, where a friend catches up with him and offers him work at his alma mater. Peter winds up trying his hand a writing and even stand-up comedy. Although he's talented, he has a propensity to give up before he's gained traction in a given position. This leads him to quit or intentionally allow himself to be fired from every single job he takes post-graduation.
