The+Amazing+Adventures+of+Kavalier+&+Clay

by Michael Chabon

 Group Members:  Erik F  Anders O  Jacob S  Jacob F  Colin G  Lucas T  Steve St*

 Discussion Time:2W, Friday January 14, 7:55-9:25  





Setting:  1939-54 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Starts in Prague 1939 then to Lithuania <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Joe then travels to Japan to get to America <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Majority is in NYC <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Joe serves in Antarctica and recovers in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Discussion Questions: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> How does Sammy's decision to marry Rosa demonstrate his character? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Is Joe's use of the Escapist to fight the Nazis a worthwhile endeavor or a waste of time? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Why do you think the golem ends up at the Clay's house at the end? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Do you think Sammy growing up without a father lead to his conflicts over his sexuality and any other problems? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Why does Joe eventually make an offer to buy Empire Comics? Why does Joe join the Navy? Would Joe have joined the Navy if he knew Rosa was pregnant? Was the contract Joe and Sam were under unfair even though they made decent money? What parallels does the Escapist have to the golem? Is this book related to the two Jewish artists Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster who created //Superman//? What character can u relate most to, and how? What do you think Joe felt like when Sammy marries Rosa? How important do you think it is for Joe to try to rescue his family at the beginning of the book compared to the end? Why do you think the obvious connections to fascism in the Escapist, and the fact that a fascist became such a big fan of the novel didn't bother Josef much more than it actually did

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Characters: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Sam Klayman (Sammy Clay): One of the main characters and cousin of Joe who marries Rosa and works in the comics business <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Josef (Joe) Kavalier: The other main character who loves Rosa and has a child with her great artist who works with his cousin in the comics business <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Rosa (Saks) Clay: Lover of Joe but marries Sam while Joe is in the navy and she is having a child with Joe <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Tommy Clay: Son of Joe and Rosa and Sammy's stepson <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">George Deasey: Editor of the comic books, helps Sammy and Joe by telling them how to get a large percent of the profits <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Sheldon Anapol: Owner of Empire Comics, ripping off Joe and Sammy by taking a huge percentage of the profit <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Carl Ebling: founder of the American Aryan League, hates Joe and attempts to kill him with the exploding trident <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Tracy Bacon: radio voice for the Escapist and Sammy's boyfriend <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Thomas Kavalier: Joe's younger brother who dies while sailing for America <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bernard Kornblum: Joe's Magic/Escapist teacher in Prague The Escapist: Joe and Sam's main comic book character Luna Moth: Joe and Sam's Female super hero

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Narration: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 3rd person narration <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The author is telling the story

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Style of writing:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Themes/motifs: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> the golem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> negligent fathers absent in their sons' lives <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> fighting Nazis and evils <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">American pulp culture <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> freeing the Kavaliers from Nazi Europe <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> picking conflicts with Germans in NYC <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> American-Aryan League (the Saboteur) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the American dream homosexuality escape

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Conflicts: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">principle vs money <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Rosa, Joe, and Sammy in the same house <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Joe losing his brother <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Empire Comics vs Sammy and Joe <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Sam and his sexuality <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eblings vs Joe and Sam

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Significant Passages: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> page 166: last sentence of first paragraph <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Page 418: Beginning of chapter <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">page 12: Sam and Joe sharing cigarette <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">page 204: first full paragraph, the connection of superheros ti fascists <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">External links: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is wikipedia page for the comic book that Micheal Chabon wrote after writing the The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|The Escapist] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Information on author: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Chabon