Many have faced the problem of procrastination. While some view it as a waste of time, others view it as a logical course of action. Jewish author, and screenwriter, Michael Chabon was born in and grew up in a close and planned community and was raised mostly by his single mother (Michael Chabon Biography). In his Pulitzer prize-winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Chabon addresses many broad topics including the idea of escapism. Through the novella The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon explores escapism in society during the era of comics and WWII to convey how escape itself can be a valid solution.
The novella itself uses escape to present solutions to many issues. Alter Klayman is a prime example …show more content…
When Chabon was young, Michael Chabon’s father divorced Michael Chabon’s mother and moved to Pittsburgh (Michael Chabon Biography). Chabon replicates this escape from responsibility in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. In this novel, Chabon explains how Alter Klayman, Sam Klay’s father, “had abandoned his wife and son soon after Sammy’s birth” (Chabon 99). In both cases, the fathers relieved themselves of the responsibility of caring for their children when faced with the issue. Chabon’s novels go on to continue this repeated use of escape from responsibility and past. From a very young age, Chabon would lose himself in comics and books instead of focusing on school and other things (Michael Chabon Biography). According to Lee Behlman, “Kavalier and Clay explores the use of fantasy ...as a potential means of "escape" from the past” (Behlman). At times, escape does not only have to be physical. It can also be through fantasies and imagination. Similar to Chabon, this novel looks into this idea of losing self to fantasy to relieve oneself of other …show more content…
In this time of war and grief, America and many victims of this war tried to change their perspective on the war to overcome their issues. “The Escapist, like America itself, is always set in contrast to the Holocaust experiences of Josef” (Behlman). Many imagined themselves as a hero who could fight back and win over the Nazi’s in order to forget the deep wounds inflicted by the war and escape. “As soon as the German army had occupied Prague, talk began, in certain quarters, of sending the city’s famous golem… into the safety of exile” (Chabon 14). Those who were too weak to fight back and protect themselves often saw escape as a valid solution. In this time of war and persecution, many saw escape as not just a method of putting off the issue but rather a
The novella itself uses escape to present solutions to many issues. Alter Klayman is a prime example …show more content…
When Chabon was young, Michael Chabon’s father divorced Michael Chabon’s mother and moved to Pittsburgh (Michael Chabon Biography). Chabon replicates this escape from responsibility in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. In this novel, Chabon explains how Alter Klayman, Sam Klay’s father, “had abandoned his wife and son soon after Sammy’s birth” (Chabon 99). In both cases, the fathers relieved themselves of the responsibility of caring for their children when faced with the issue. Chabon’s novels go on to continue this repeated use of escape from responsibility and past. From a very young age, Chabon would lose himself in comics and books instead of focusing on school and other things (Michael Chabon Biography). According to Lee Behlman, “Kavalier and Clay explores the use of fantasy ...as a potential means of "escape" from the past” (Behlman). At times, escape does not only have to be physical. It can also be through fantasies and imagination. Similar to Chabon, this novel looks into this idea of losing self to fantasy to relieve oneself of other …show more content…
In this time of war and grief, America and many victims of this war tried to change their perspective on the war to overcome their issues. “The Escapist, like America itself, is always set in contrast to the Holocaust experiences of Josef” (Behlman). Many imagined themselves as a hero who could fight back and win over the Nazi’s in order to forget the deep wounds inflicted by the war and escape. “As soon as the German army had occupied Prague, talk began, in certain quarters, of sending the city’s famous golem… into the safety of exile” (Chabon 14). Those who were too weak to fight back and protect themselves often saw escape as a valid solution. In this time of war and persecution, many saw escape as not just a method of putting off the issue but rather a