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Shame And Redemption In A Visit From The Goon Squad

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Shame And Redemption In A Visit From The Goon Squad
In A Visit from the Goon Squad, the theme of shame and redemption was most obvious to me. The symbol of water seems to be used in the book symbolically to show shame, hitting the bottom, or the end in many of the stories. Water is more commonly used to symbolize rebirth as with a baptism.

The book has several references to the East River (water). The East River is water that is known to be polluted and dirty. In a disturbing moment in the chapter, “You (Plural)”, Jocelyn gets overwhelmed by her anger towards Lou and disturbingly thinks about drowning him in the pool. “I jump in and I hold him down, lock his head between my kneecaps and hold him there until everything goes soft and we’re just waiting. Lou and I are waiting, and then he shakes,
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