Screaming in public for real reactions

In Jennifer Egan's novel The Candy House, a man grows obsessed with authenticity and with what he sees as the artificiality of everyday interaction. It starts to drive him crazy. He wants genuine reactions from people, but he is not a mean guy, so he can't just attack anyone to get one.

So he starts spontaneously screaming in all sorts of situations. It is ridiculous, no way to live, and of course people hate it. It also accomplishes his goal.

Once he gets used to the thrill of watching everyone freak out, nothing else in his life can quite match it. It becomes a little bit of an addiction, then a habit. The scene is funny, and it holds together, because he screams for a reason.