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Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad takes the well-trodden themes of fate’s indifference to human effort, mortality, and the difficulty of truly knowing oneself as its central material. Far from being cliché, however, through its non-linear structure and multiple perspectives, the novel tangles and knots together a group of uneven and interconnected lives. Each of her characters fights against a fate that seems impossible to avoid, and each in their own way attempts to avoid aging and becoming irrelevant or unloved. Egan’s narrative techniques and bizarre, highly detailed character development hammer in the relentless progression of time and the inevitability of mortality, demonstrating their impact on personal identity and every manner of relationship.
The non-linear narrative structure of A Visit from the Goon Squad undergirds the exploration of these themes by presenting events out of chronological order. Instead, events are usually told in an order which encourages the reader to remember or focus on specific details about a character, or which explains something from the previous chapter. This approach allows readers to see Sasha, Bennie et al. at various points in their lives, and helps to organically illustrate how their identities evolve over time. The structure highlights the interconnectedness of past, present, and future, revealing how experiences and choices continuously shape and reshape identity. One of the most innovative aspects of the novel is the PowerPoint chapter created by Sasha’s daughter Alison. This chapter offers a modern take on how time and memory are documented and perceived. Alison’s slides capture moments of her family’s life, particularly focusing on her brother Lincoln’s obsession with pauses in rock songs. This unique narrative device reflects how time can be fragmented and reassembled, and is in itself a microcosm of the novel’s larger structure.
A Visit from the Goon Squad opens with Sasha, a kleptomaniac who struggles to find her place in the world. As a young woman she is abused by her stepfather, and in an effort to free herself she runs away for several years. She falls into a life of compulsive stealing, prostitution, and chaos, taking items that seem precious to people and displaying them like totems in her New York apartment. However, as she ages, Sasha becomes more aware of her need for stability and making amends. She begins to make art out of “found objects” instead of directly stealing things, and focuses less on being seen as interesting and more on being a good parent and a good artist. Sasha’s life is not an easy one, but by the end of the novel she appears to have found more peace in it. Scotty Hausman follows a similar trajectory. Once a talented punk musician, Scotty’s life takes a downturn after losing touch with Bennie and divorcing Alice. He becomes a reclusive janitor, harboring resentment and delusions about how the world works. However, his unexpected return to music and the historic concert he performs demonstrate the potential for any identity to be reconstructed. He goes from being a janitor who eats the fish he catches in the East River to being an enormous star. Scotty accepts all the stages of his life as having happened and uses them in his music.
Bennie Salazar, on the other hand, further illustrates the theme of mortality by clinging to youth with his liver-spotted hands. As a formerly successful record executive, Bennie hates the thought of aging because of the pressure to remain relevant in the music industry. His use of gold flakes to combat his sexual impotence and his anxiety about producing “authentic” music are part of his struggle with the way that tastes change over time. Bennie’s character also further points to the complexities of identity. As a record executive, Bennie struggles with his Hispanic heritage, his past in the punk rock scene, and his current corporate role. These conflicting aspects of his identity create internal tension as he navigates his career and personal life. Bennie’s discomfort with producing over-commercialized music stems from his struggle to remain true to his roots while adapting to industry demands.
Relatedly, Lou Kline’s story also reminds the reader of the inexorable grip mortality has on us, even if Lou’s story is more like a litany of expensive items and cocaine than a realistic tale. Lou lives a life of excess, indulging in any pleasures he can think of without considering the future. His relationships with younger women, his lifelong hard drug habit, and his refusal to acknowledge his age all contribute to the stroke that leaves him physically impaired and isolated. Lou’s decline underscores the physical and emotional toll of a life lived without foresight. He was happy and lucky in his youth, but the “goon squad,” as Bennie warns, always show up in the end to collect, one way or another.
