Please, HELP with John Hawkes, "The Cannibal." Please!

I have to write an in class essay on this book for my final tomorrow on one of the following topics. I hate the book so much, I can barely read the thing. I'm sure I hate it because I can barely read the thing. If anybody's had any experience with this novel, I'd really appreciate a little help.

Here are the topic choices:

"Write about one of these topics in the novel "The Cannibal" by John Hawkes:

1. Analyze the grotesque.
2. Analyze the metaphors and/or metonyms.
3. Analyze the concreteness of the style.
4. Analyze the function of history.
5. Analyze as deterministic."

I'm thinking the easiest is number four. However, I'm open to any thoughts you have on the work. I'm not looking for the "answer," or an essay. Just some thoughts to get me jump started. I also have to write on Shirley Jackson, John Bowles, James Purdy, and one of Oates, Millhauser, Johnson or Pritchard. I'm alright with those, but the Hawkes is killing me. I can't get past the, "I think it sucks," part.

... to this, but this is a pretty good article on Hawkes, and includes some ideas about how he treats history:

http://www.themodernword.com/scriptorium/hawkes.html

You get the gist of how Hawkes is using history from this.

Cheers.