Theme Of Depression In A Visit From The Goon Squad

Depression, Rob Freeman Jr. in A Visit From the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad is a structurally unconventional novel while still maintaining a painstaking approach of each character’s humanity. As each chapter engrosses the reader with a different character’s point of view, we become aware of the impending doom that some of the characters will surely face: particularly, Robert Freeman Jr. From the moment that he is introduced to us, the reader is able to infer Bobby’s demise from his edgy personality and actions. We see Bobby’s disconnect on page 191, when he narrates about himself in second person and seems to feel removed from his actions; “Which one is really ‘you’, the one saying and doing whatever it is, or the one watching?” (Egan 191). By examining Roberts’ feelings of detachment from his life, we are able to see that the underlying causes of his death stems from his depression and his inability to accept his sexual orientation.

By identifying Robert’s warning signs of depression that we see in chapter 10, we are able to delve into the inner workings of his brain and see what he truly desires in life.

One of the signs of depression is no longer being interested in activities which used to appeal to you; this is seen in chapter 10 when Bobby tells the reader that he is no longer attending school.

Egan doesn’t romanticize Bobby’s life, as many authors who attempt to represent characters with mental illnesses do, but rather, she submerges the reader into a pragmatic lifeline for someone in Bobby’s state. Egan’s stylistic choice to write Robert’s character with blatant mortality validates Robert’s life, proving that his feelings of detachment toward his actions were unnecessary and that his depression and sexual orientation were merely a part of his predestined collateral