This thesis is a creative novel of fiction concerning the life of a young and frustrated man making his way in Ottawa in the early 21st century. After witnessing a terrible assault, the protagonist, Artie Olsen, explores questions of value, goodness and purpose while simultaneously trying to determine if any of these topics still have any relevance in what to him feels like a nihilistic age. The work explores themes of shame, guilt, loss, and forgiveness, and is the first instalment in a series about Artie’s youth.