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Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Immortalists, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fate vs. Choice
Family and Shared History
Obsession
Death, Meaning, and Legacy
Surviving vs. Living
Magic, Religion, Dance, and Possibility
Summary
Analysis
Klara has become an expert at many tricks, but what she cannot do—what she won’t stop trying to do—is bring Simon back. When Klara arrives for a gig, she rigs her rope for the Jaws of Life. She prefers to perform in clubs, particularly because she likes performing for adults. Most adults claim not to believe in magic, but Klara knows this isn’t true—the trick is to get them to admit they believe in magic. Two years ago, Klara began to perform the Breakaway in the Jaws of Life. Rather than floating back down to the ground, she plunges, eliciting gasps from audience members who thinks something has gone wrong. But the rope catches just before she reaches the ground. When she bows, she whispers to the audience, “I love you all,” a mantra inspired by Howard Thurston.
The opening passage of Klara’s section of the book foreshadows Klara’s obsession: trying to remain connected with Simon following his death. Klara’s performance in the Breakaway also expands her audience’s worldview and gives them other explanations for the feats she is performing. While they believe that Klara must have made a mistake, she demonstrates that she really has a superhuman ability to hang on to the rope.
Themes
