The Airiness Of a Mobile

The Airiness Of a Mobile

“’Okay,’ she said. ‘Steal it’”.

A Visit From The Goon Squad. Chapter 1: Found Objects

We read a stolen possession.

Egan inhabits the therapist’s role in the book exploring the fundamental theme: identity theft. This position exemplifies a certain amount of control upon the story line and how it is being told, the Therapist’s voice commences distantly “’I get it’” allowing Sasha supremacy in the story. As the events commence, this voice remerges more consistently revealing Sasha’s contortion “do you think about how it makes the other person feel?” Egan is consciously criticising her own narrative style by declaring that Sasha’s first person narrative is self indulgent. Egan unveils her redirected criticism “But it isn’t because you lack empathy” Sasha comprehending the perspective of another, but ultimately trapped within her own mind.  

Sasha’s first person stream of consciousness often ascends into her desires “seize the moment, accept the challenge, take the leap, fly the coop, throw caution to the wind, live dangerously”. Sasha’s thievery deflects from societal ideals. The act provides escapism from everyday life.  Itemising this act shows her tendency to collect things which becomes increasingly significant “accelerate”.  Although it appears that Sasha may have self knowledge, Egan produced signs that this is just pretence. The “five sets of keys” may appear an insignificant number yet it accumulates the “eighty-five pens”. Keys symbolise identity. Each key is individual and provides another person with the ability to enter into their domain. Egan evokes Sasha’s yearning to acquire another’s life. Similarly the pens may be used to apply a signature or express our inner desires upon the page. Egan’s character is uncomfortable with her own identity and placed at the centre of this chapter. Egan deliberately selects the number five to exhibit Sasha’s attempt to connect two pieces, or two lives. We can almost imagine the two palms connecting. Supplementary items define this desire to conceal herself “fourteen pairs of sunglasses, a child’s striped scarf, binoculars….-eight bars of soap”. Yet these items “a cheese grater, a pocket knife” suggest an element of stripping away the skin, Sasha is in fact trying to conceal her attempt to tear away her identity.

Sasha’s self containment is reiterated symbolically “Sasha usually looked at the window, which faced the street”. Sasha fails to look outside of the window, only managing to see it as an object. The window entraps her within her own sphere whereas the therapist is able to see “‘Around the room….At the ceiling. Into space” broadening his horizon. The author is free to roam wherever he pleases, the therapist is able to see the future, the narrative is trapped within its mind, and Sasha is isolated in the present. The window “was rippled with rain” signifying the basis of her thievery, to impede time. From Sasha’s perspective water symbolises death, the ending of time “Sasha’s friend who had drowned at college”. Each instance of her thievery is triggered by a release of water “the woman whose peeing she could faintly hear” and “Sasha heard him starting to pee”. This image suggests that the water has submerged them. Sasha sees each person immersed in death. By collecting their wallets, she is suspending them in time. Further evidence lies in her lifestyle “I shower at the gym” and avoiding the “Bathtub-in-the-kitchen”. In the kitchen Sasha consumes food; sustenance to keep her living yet here lays a reminder of death. Sasha attempts to cover it with “a fitted board”, tightly entrap the memories within. Yet her date, a man she first meets “lifted it off” as if it is lightweight. Sasha perceives objects as being burdened with preserving the present. Egan’s character steals from others to preserve her present “as if she not only couldn’t move on but didn’t want to”.

The author, the therapist and the man lift off the board; Sasha’s mind becomes the vulnerable object. Her secrets are stolen to create a story for us.