The Goon Squad

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People react to Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad in various ways. Some have responded to the novel in a postmodern way, as seen by Cathleen Schine from the New York Review of Books, who explains that it is “an enormous nineteenth-century-style epic, brilliantly disguised as ironic postmodern pastiche” (Schine, Cruel and Benevolent). Whereas, Kristin Rix describes the novel as “a 90s independent art film” (Rix, Book Review on Jennifer Egan). As for Egan, she chooses to acknowledge that A Visit from the Goon Squad can be interpreted as postmodern, as she’s familiar with the style due to her love for literary theory. Egan explains her love for literary theory in an interview with the Paris Review,“I think literary theory satisfied a deep love I have for big …show more content…
This is because postmodernism helps to explain that the complex world people live in today, that consists of a lot ‘gray area’, and very little black and white. This makes it hard to know exactly what is known versus unknown, and what is right versus wrong-- as what might be right to one person might be wrong to another. Take art for example, with postmodernism it no longer has to be a classical painting or sculpture, but can be a digital montage or even a meme. Similarly, in literature, like in A Visit from the Goon Squad, which strays far away from what is considered a “normal novel”. A Visit from the Goon Squad skips around chronologically, in order to highlight the important events in the characters lives, sort of like Sparknotes, which tells the key point of a book. By utilizing postmodern style Egan has created an action packed story, that is always interesting and does not have boring ‘filler’ chapters. This allows for the idea of the importance of time and change to come through, which the present day world revolves around because there’s only so much that one can

The Goon Squad Summary

execution. It all began when an anonymous white caller complained that two Black men were visiting a white woman. It was at this moment that Brett McAplin and Christian Dedmon, two of the six sentenced, informed the rest of the group, known as the “Goon Squad” about the situation. Without hesitation, they invaded the home and proceeded to handcuff the victims, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, and began an hourslong torture of beatings, uses of stun guns, and sexual assault. It did not end until Jenkins…

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A Visit From The Goon Squad Language Analysis

pause? In a conversation it seems natural, yet in novels there is almost never a long pause or break in between pages. Although there is nothing said in these pauses, they are purposeful and having a greater meaning. In the novel A Visit From The Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan teaches us there are multiple meanings to a pause, and when in context, it can have as much of an effect as a sentence. Egan demonstrates that a pause is ironic, can have visual structure, and contains syntax The first way Egan uses…

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Forty-Minute Lunch: A Visit From The Goon Squad

Technology is also touched upon in other chapters of the novel. We see technology mostly through the emergence of handsets in A Visit From the Goon Squad. Egan specifically uses jargon that is extremely prevalent to the reader through “texting”. In the final chapter of the novel, “Pure Language”, the reader actually encounters a conversation done entirely through texting, otherwise known a “T’ing” in the novel, by Alex and Lulu. “tel me hEs betr in prsn”(Egan 326). The use of this language can almost…

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A Visit From The Goon Squad Chapter Analysis

Chapter seven is a very involved section of the novel that is very informative of Jennifer Egan’s characters and their development. In my opinion, it is one of the most important sections of the novel. Many things are learned and many critical scenes arise. Without this chapter, the reader would not receive the chance to gain knowledge about how characters truly are and most importantly, how they have changed over time. There are many questions and assumptions that perplex readers, but the biggest…

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Character Analysis: A Visit From The Goon Squad

Out of Body Within the novel A Visit from the Goon Squad a group of characters are all linked together through life experiences. Chapter ten of the novel is written and narrated in second person by Sasha’s best friend Rob. The use of second person allows the reader to experience the events in the story as if it’s our own and allows us to gain a new perspective. As Rob begins to self-destruct the readers understands that he considers his actions and his life as an out of body experience, because…

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Serial Killer Richard Kuklinski Essay

CRIMIONLOGY AN SOCIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING TO CRIMINAL THINKING Instructor: Mr. Kowalski Student: Jonathan Beale Subject: Richard Kuklinski AKA The Ice Man Richard Kuklinski in my opinion was a serial killer. Due to the abuse he received not just from his parents but also his neighbors and classmates this would be used as an excuse for why Richard did what he did. Richard upbringing was not like so many ordinary families where both parents lived in the house and both was involved in the…

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