Jennifer Egan's unorthodox approach to creating a novel is in itself a mark of the shift in the modern author's role in society. Other than telling a story for pure entertainment, this new age writer assumes the task of social analysis. Such a responsibility cannot be accomplished adequately with traditional prose. To overcome this barrier, Egan uses a writing style that provides the most variety of point of view, voice, and format. The diversity of her characters is matched with the multiple narrations and tactics of presentation throughout the novel, all of which combine to present a message about the effect of time on humans. The threads of identities, narratives, and relationships between a group of childhood friends are simultaneously unraveled into their solitary components and re-weaved into a complete image in Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad, creating a complete examination of time and its inescapable impact.
The first stylistic aspect of A Visit From the Goon Squad becomes apparent at the beginning of chapter two, as the reader discovers that each chapter is an excerpt from a character’s life. These segments are not in chronological order and also jump from one character to another and back. Though it may come off as a hectic flaw of organization, this intentional stylistic choice gives Egan the opportunity to begin her manipulation of time. It is this deconstruction of the history of friends that jumpstarts her assertion that time is a filter through which humans experience every aspect of our lives. It is such an integral part of society in today’s goal-oriented world that it is often overlooked how little time one has to leave their mark. The short story style emphasizes this concept and allows the reader to acknowledge the importance of time on many smaller scales before being asked to recognize it in the novel as a whole and in their own lives.
The consideration of the effects of time prompts a discussion about personal identity within the novel’s stories as well. Some chapters address this construct directly, and Egan uses her myriad of characters to do this. In chapter eight, she presents the reader with the story of Dolly, who has experienced public disgrace and is searching for her chance to regain respectability. Dolly’s story of a major publicist and her grasp for social redemption provides Egan with a context for her ironic tone and critical message. She uses the story and the characters’ actions and thoughts to express ideas to her audience. In the case of identity Egan allows Dolly’s desperate actions to convey the assertion that one’s image and identity is constructed from past experiences but should be left to develop naturally. When people become too caught up in the implied requirements of their own social status, they lose the meaning behind real experiences and begin to live in a way that doesn’t reflect their true self.
Over the course of the novel, each character grapples with the state of their own identity. Egan makes the presentation of all of these points of view come together as a novel by having each chapter told by a different narrator. This style would seem to cause a sense of inconsistency within the novel; however, Egan’s attention to detail allows all the perspectives to coexist through a recurring sense of intimacy she creates around each character. Egan’s ability to draw complex relationships between her characters is unique and unrivaled by other authors, both modern and classic. The world she creates serves as a study on the human condition within today’s modern society and Egan seamlessly blends the experiences of over 20 individuals into a commentary on the passage of time and the changes to American lifestyle in the past few decades.
The relationships Egan creates between Bennie, Sasha, Dolly, Kitty, and Lou - to name a few - are simple yet persuasive examples of the changes inflicted on connections and identities over time. The reader is introduced to change within each character, but also to resistance to change through the stories of Bosco’s suicide tour and Rob’s experiences in college. Egan comments on the power time has to change identity in both Dolly’s chapter as well as a chapter about Bennie’s attempt to establish a family in Crandale, New Jersey. Her deconstructed timeline, multi-perspective narrations, and unusual formatting culminate to form a new-age writing style that Egan relies on in this novel. A Visit From the Goon Squad is the perfect mirror through which to view the modern world’s effects on each individual, including oneself.
The first stylistic aspect of A Visit From the Goon Squad becomes apparent at the beginning of chapter two, as the reader discovers that each chapter is an excerpt from a character’s life. These segments are not in chronological order and also jump from one character to another and back. Though it may come off as a hectic flaw of organization, this intentional stylistic choice gives Egan the opportunity to begin her manipulation of time. It is this deconstruction of the history of friends that jumpstarts her assertion that time is a filter through which humans experience every aspect of our lives. It is such an integral part of society in today’s goal-oriented world that it is often overlooked how little time one has to leave their mark. The short story style emphasizes this concept and allows the reader to acknowledge the importance of time on many smaller scales before being asked to recognize it in the novel as a whole and in their own lives.
The consideration of the effects of time prompts a discussion about personal identity within the novel’s stories as well. Some chapters address this construct directly, and Egan uses her myriad of characters to do this. In chapter eight, she presents the reader with the story of Dolly, who has experienced public disgrace and is searching for her chance to regain respectability. Dolly’s story of a major publicist and her grasp for social redemption provides Egan with a context for her ironic tone and critical message. She uses the story and the characters’ actions and thoughts to express ideas to her audience. In the case of identity Egan allows Dolly’s desperate actions to convey the assertion that one’s image and identity is constructed from past experiences but should be left to develop naturally. When people become too caught up in the implied requirements of their own social status, they lose the meaning behind real experiences and begin to live in a way that doesn’t reflect their true self.
Over the course of the novel, each character grapples with the state of their own identity. Egan makes the presentation of all of these points of view come together as a novel by having each chapter told by a different narrator. This style would seem to cause a sense of inconsistency within the novel; however, Egan’s attention to detail allows all the perspectives to coexist through a recurring sense of intimacy she creates around each character. Egan’s ability to draw complex relationships between her characters is unique and unrivaled by other authors, both modern and classic. The world she creates serves as a study on the human condition within today’s modern society and Egan seamlessly blends the experiences of over 20 individuals into a commentary on the passage of time and the changes to American lifestyle in the past few decades.
The relationships Egan creates between Bennie, Sasha, Dolly, Kitty, and Lou - to name a few - are simple yet persuasive examples of the changes inflicted on connections and identities over time. The reader is introduced to change within each character, but also to resistance to change through the stories of Bosco’s suicide tour and Rob’s experiences in college. Egan comments on the power time has to change identity in both Dolly’s chapter as well as a chapter about Bennie’s attempt to establish a family in Crandale, New Jersey. Her deconstructed timeline, multi-perspective narrations, and unusual formatting culminate to form a new-age writing style that Egan relies on in this novel. A Visit From the Goon Squad is the perfect mirror through which to view the modern world’s effects on each individual, including oneself.