The American lifestyle has evolved, morphed, and been scrupulously studied for hundreds of years. The concepts of unalienable rights, Manifest Destiny, and the American Dream are all products of our identity as Americans. Along with the political, social, and economic trends that shape what it means to be an American, there have also been movements in the arts that reflect each period of the nation’s story. The Pulitzer Prize, which honored its first work of literature in 1917, has been dedicated to annually selecting examples from American journalism and fiction that capture the essence of American culture. In 2015, the committee awarded the prize to Jennifer Egan’s novel, A Visit From the Goon Squad “for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life”. Egan’s novel is exactly this, a look into the lives, past and present, of characters that shows the fragility of normalcy and highlights changes in their lifestyles that come with changes in time.
One major factor of A Visit From the Goon Squad is Egan’s destruction of time, which she accomplishes by telling stories about the characters out of chronological order. When put together, the links between characters become apparent as do the changes experienced by each individual. This novel accurately represents a major shift in the patterns of everyday life as personal, real life connections transformed into primarily virtual information facilitated by technology. The increasing presence of technology in daily life is beautifully captured by Egan through each chapter's’ unique formatting, including PowerPoint slides and magazine articles. The apparent changes to the lives of typical Americans is what makes A Visit From The Goon Squad so relatable. Living in the present moment often prevents one from recognizing the alterations being made to one’s way of life. Egan’s prize winning book allows the reader to take a step back and see the full process of the ever-evolving American life while still remaining connected to the minute details of each character’s experiences.
Another aspect to Egan’s novel is her attention to the effect of life experiences on personal identity. The traits, perspectives, and knowledge humans possess all develop over years of real life experiences. It is these moments that impact who a person becomes by giving them a filter through which to see future events. In her novel, Egan allows events to morph, interact, and build on one another, pointing to the impermanence of any one moment in time. The unstoppable passage of time is felt even more drastically in today’s modern world due to the technology that exposes humans to a rapid-fire of information and provides for a new ease of communication. In the search for Pulitzer worthy novels, this big picture view of American life is exactly what the jury is drawn to.
Egan's ability to craft a message about the changes of American life from the fragments of character's life stories is precisely the talent that deserves such a prestigious designation. Her novel seeks to define what it means to be American, and what it means to be human, in the modern world by tapping into every reader’s reliance on new-age technology that is tinged with a nostalgic longing for simpler times.
One major factor of A Visit From the Goon Squad is Egan’s destruction of time, which she accomplishes by telling stories about the characters out of chronological order. When put together, the links between characters become apparent as do the changes experienced by each individual. This novel accurately represents a major shift in the patterns of everyday life as personal, real life connections transformed into primarily virtual information facilitated by technology. The increasing presence of technology in daily life is beautifully captured by Egan through each chapter's’ unique formatting, including PowerPoint slides and magazine articles. The apparent changes to the lives of typical Americans is what makes A Visit From The Goon Squad so relatable. Living in the present moment often prevents one from recognizing the alterations being made to one’s way of life. Egan’s prize winning book allows the reader to take a step back and see the full process of the ever-evolving American life while still remaining connected to the minute details of each character’s experiences.
Another aspect to Egan’s novel is her attention to the effect of life experiences on personal identity. The traits, perspectives, and knowledge humans possess all develop over years of real life experiences. It is these moments that impact who a person becomes by giving them a filter through which to see future events. In her novel, Egan allows events to morph, interact, and build on one another, pointing to the impermanence of any one moment in time. The unstoppable passage of time is felt even more drastically in today’s modern world due to the technology that exposes humans to a rapid-fire of information and provides for a new ease of communication. In the search for Pulitzer worthy novels, this big picture view of American life is exactly what the jury is drawn to.
Egan's ability to craft a message about the changes of American life from the fragments of character's life stories is precisely the talent that deserves such a prestigious designation. Her novel seeks to define what it means to be American, and what it means to be human, in the modern world by tapping into every reader’s reliance on new-age technology that is tinged with a nostalgic longing for simpler times.
Works Cited
"The 2011 Pulitzer Prize Winners." The Pulitzer Prizes. np., nd. Web. 25 May. 2015
"The 2011 Pulitzer Prize Winners." The Pulitzer Prizes. np., nd. Web. 25 May. 2015