Essay Questions

Show how the writer Jennifer Egan tackles the theme of time and memory in the novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad.

The writer, Jennifer Egan, employs the all-encompassing structure of the novel to bring into perception her exploration of the themes of time and memory. Additionally, the distinct stories presented also add to her presentation of the issues. The structure that the writer employs involves back and forth movements in time, and in so doing, the writer presents the changes that occur to people, places, and even cultures. Additionally, in the presentation of the stories, Egan also employs jumps into the future to bring out how the events will play out in the lives of the characters. For instance, Charlie and Rolph are presented as sharing a moment in the ‘Safari’; however, the story leaps into the future in which the death of Rolph through suicide is foreshadowed.

How is the issue of identity tackled in Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad?

Egan brings out the theme of identity and the ways in which it is inbuilt as well as how individuals adopt identity. In the novel, most of the characters are presented as struggling in terms of finding sense and validity in their lives. In this sense, the characters employ varied methodologies to come with identities, or even get rid of them. For instance, Bennie and Sasha, who are also the protagonists of the story, face challenges in coming to terms with their identities. Sasha thus steals objects that reflect the personalities of the people from which she steals them in attempts to forging her own. Benny, on the other hand, is embarrassed by his social class and race as well.