1 Contemporary Literature, 1970 to Present
his “Author’s Note” at the end provide examples of the histories he consulted.
The article by Chute would also be helpful.- Once Sammy and Joe are established and their assignment expands to two
more comic lines, they “went for a series of long strolls, in and out of the streets
of Manhattan and Empire City, talking and dreaming and walking in circles
in the prescribed manner of golem makers.” At the beginning of the novel, we
hear of Joe’s escape from Czechoslovakia in the coffin of the famous Golem
of Prague. In Jewish lore, golems were created of clay and animated by various
means, usually through walking and ritual language, and were often employed
to battle intruders and protect communities. How is the idea of the golem
important in this novel? What other examples of golem-like figures or images
are there? Is it significant that Sammy’s real last name is “Klayman”? What is
suggested at the end by Joe’s creation of a massive “comic book novel” featur-
ing “The Golem”? The article by D. G. Myers and the Lisa Simeone interview
would be helpful to an exploration of the theme of golems, as would Chabon’s
essays “The Recipe for Life” and “Golems I Have Known, or, Why My Elder
Son’s Middle Name is Napoleon: A Trickster’s Memoir,” both found in Maps
and Legends. - Consider the role of money in the novel. Sheldon Anapol and Jack Ashkenazy
take advantage of the creative abilities of Kavalier and Clay, giving them only a
very small share of the millions Empire Comics earns from these young men’s
work. In what ways is class exploitation a topic in this novel? Is the exploita-
tion they experience due to class or to some other factor? The article by Daniel
Punday will be useful. What other roles does economics play in the story?
What is Sammy’s reason for wanting to be successful? Joe’s? What role does
Joe’s status as an immigrant play in his attitude toward economics? George
Deasey tells Sammy and Joe that the only way to avoid disappointment and
disillusionment is to work only for the money; yet, he is one of the most dis-
illusioned figures in the novel. What things are ultimately most valuable in the
economy of this novel?
RESOURCES
Primary Works
Mark Binelli, “The Amazing Story of the Comic-Book Nerd Who Won the
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: A Conversation with Michael Chabon,” Rolling
Stone, 27 September 2001, pp. 58–62, 78.
Wide-ranging interview that includes discussion of Chabon’s childhood, early
publications, interest in comics and music, and the writing of The Amazing
Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
Lisa Simeone, “Michael Chabon Talks about the Legend of the Golem and
about His Book, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” NPR Week-
end All Things Considered, 2001 May 6 <www.npr.org/templates/story/story.
php?storyId=1122517> [accessed 23 November 2009].