The Sun Symbol in A Visit from the Goon Squad

The sun is a constant symbol throughout the novel, and serves to point the reader toward the passage of time, and also the theme of ruin and redemption. The presence of the sun is linked to both the destructive force of time on the lives of the characters, and also moments where time has landed them in situations that are stable and joyous. For example, in the story, “Ask Me If I Care,” Scotty stares at the sun with such intensity that it damages his eyes. This harmful act is associated with the death of his mother, which points toward the idea of time and ruin. More often than not, however, the sun symbolizes both ruin and redemption at once. While visiting Lou, Jocelyn fondly remembers watching the sunrise with Lou’s son, Rolph, comparing it to a baby, and imagining they could hold it in their arms. In this moment, the sun stands as an image of hope, but this hope is also backdropped by the knowledge that Rolph has gone on to commit suicide. The same is true of the sunrise in the story, “Out of Body.” The sunrise marks the day of Rob’s drowning, but also suggests hope for Sasha as she transitions toward a better life. Though the sun, as a symbol, has several shades of meaning through out the novel, it undoubtedly alludes to the passage of time, and serves to illuminate the experience of loss and hope the characters endure, often in the same instant.

The Sun Quotes in A Visit from the Goon Squad

The A Visit from the Goon Squad quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Sun. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

She could tell that [Alex] was in excellent shape, not from going to the gym but from being young enough that his body was still imprinted with whatever sports he'd played in high school and college. Sasha, who was thirty-five, had passed that point. Still, not even Coz knew her real age. The closest anyone had come to guessing it was thirty-one, and most put her in her twenties. She worked out daily and avoided the sun. Her online profiles all listed her as twenty-eight.

Related Characters: Sasha Blake (speaker), Coz

Related Symbols: The Sun, The Body and Appearance

Page Number and Citation: 6

Explanation and Analysis:

"Women are cunts," his father says. "That's why.”
…
"They are not—" He can't make himself repeat the word.
"They are," Lou says tightly. "Pretty soon you'll know it for sure."
Rolph turns away from his father. There is nowhere to go, so he jumps into the sea and begins slowly paddling back toward shore. The sun is low, the water choppy and full of shadows. Rolph imagines sharks just under his feet, but he doesn't turn or look back.

Related Characters: Lou Kline (speaker), Rolph

Related Symbols: The Sun, Water

Page Number and Citation: 78-79

Explanation and Analysis:

On another day more than twenty years after this one, after Sasha had gone to college and settled in New York; after she'd reconnected on Facebook with her college boyfriend and married late (when Beth had nearly given up hope) and had two children, one of whom was slightly autistic…Ted, long divorced—a grandfather—would visit Sasha at home in the California desert…And for an instant he would remember Naples: sitting with Sasha in her tiny room; the jolt of surprise and delight he'd felt when the sun finally dropped into the center of her window and was captured inside her circle of wire.
Now he turned to her, grinning. Her hair and face were aflame with orange light.
"See," Sasha muttered, eyeing the sun. "It's mine."

Related Characters: Sasha Blake (speaker), Ted Hollander

Related Symbols: The Sun

Page Number and Citation: 233

Explanation and Analysis:

The Sun Symbol Timeline in A Visit from the Goon Squad

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Sun appears in A Visit from the Goon Squad. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...and the closest anyone has come is 31. She works out daily and avoids the sun. Her online profiles say she is 28. (full context)

Fame, Art, and Popular Culture Theme Icon

...twenty years prior. After a night of partying, Bennie hid behind a fence as the sun rose, listening to cloistered nuns sing. The sound of their voices is magical to Bennie.... (full context)

...Scotty. As a young boy, when his mother went away, Scotty would stare at the sun. There are permanent smudges in his vision now, but he likes them because they remind... (full context)

...who are working on a science project, on the balcony. She looks straight into the sun, the way Scotty did. Jocelyn comes out a short while later, overjoyed. She tells Rhea... (full context)

...father for saying this. Rolph turns and begins swimming back through the water as the sunsets. He imagines sharks under him, but he doesn’t look back at his father. He knows... (full context)

...and is trying to finish her B.A. at UCLA. She notes that some mornings the sun looks wrong outside her window. She feels like everything has gone past her, and left... (full context)

...Jocelyn is doing this, not realizing that Jocelyn has experienced a mental blank spot. The sun hurts Jocelyn’s eyes, so she closes them. Jocelyn imagines pushing Lou into the water and... (full context)

...roof with Rolph, watching a party by the pool. They waited all night for the sun to rise. When it rose, Rolph said it was like a baby. Jocelyn cried, and... (full context)

...allows himself to think about Alice for a moment, and sees her standing in the sun, not angry or afraid, which is how he made her feel. (full context)

...next day, Scotty goes fishing with two of his friends, Sammy and Dave. As the sun rises, he feels renewed, and feels the urge to jump into the river and swim.... (full context)

...is different than he was when the Conduits were still playing. She looks at the sun reflecting off of the cobblestone street, and remembers shooting the Conduits first album cover years... (full context)

...and the sparkle of water. When they step out of the car, Dolly feels the sun on her neck. Her hair has recently been cut and dyed blond again. Kitty takes... (full context)

...being president one day. He looks at Drew through layers of hash smoke in the sun. Drew’s arm is around Sasha. Rob admires Drew’s body, which is healthy because of his... (full context)

...from his suicide attempt in Florida, Sasha and Drew went to Washington and watched the sun rise over the Mall the day Bill Clinton was elected. They told him they felt... (full context)

...was unable to do the same. Rob wonders again what Sasha felt like watching the sun rise in Washington D.C., and whether other people felt it too. They arrive at the... (full context)

...club, Rob, Drew, and Bix eat breakfast, and then go to the East River. The sun is rising, and Drew says he wishes he could swim in the water. He says... (full context)

...red hair at the time, he remembers. When the sand was too hot from the sun, Ted would carry Sasha in his arms, set her on a towel and put sunscreen... (full context)

...afternoon, Sasha opens the door and lets Ted inside. The room is small, and the sun is just beginning to set. The windowsill is full of objects that Ted assumes are... (full context)

...he remembers her room in Naples, and the jolt of surprise he experienced when the sun dropped into the center of the window and was captured in the wire coat hanger.... (full context)

...her about his job with Bennie. They are hurrying to get to the river before sunset, which has been pushed back due to global warming. By the time they reach the... (full context)

As the sun sets, a hush encloses the crowd at the wall. Cara-Ann runs off, and Rebecca peruses... (full context)

Lulu stands before Scotty, the sun reflecting in her hair. Scotty hesitates, and Alex realizes that Scotty has lost the fight.... (full context)

A Visit from the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan

The Sun Symbol Analysis

The Sun Quotes in A Visit from the Goon Squad

The Sun Symbol Timeline in A Visit from the Goon Squad