Magician: John's Primary Persona in O'Brien's Novel Anonymous 12th Grade

The novel In the Lake of the Woods, written by Tim O’Brien and published in 1994, contains various symbolisms. One of the major symbols is magic. O’Brien advances the idea of magic tricks by discussing its foundations with nonfictional quotes and demonstrating the exploitation of magic through John’s thoughts and actions. He connects it to psychological concepts such as deception and uncertainty. Magic plays a significant role in John’s character development, which highlights his manipulative personality. Although John has numerous personae, including politician, soldier, and husband, the magician is his main persona because he uses magic throughout his life; he performs magic tricks during his childhood, his military service, and his political career.

As a child, John is obsessed with magic. According to Eleanor Wade, John’s mother, “[John] used to practice down in the basement, just stand in front of that old mirror of his and do tricks for hours and hours . . . Always alone, always shut up by himself” (O’Brien 25). Practicing magic tricks is John’s main hobby in his childhood, and he keeps himself isolated from the community in order to focus on magic. This pinpoints John’s strong passion for practicing magic tricks in his...