The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay: Difference between revisions

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''[[The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay]]'' (2000) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by [[Michael Chabon (Creator)|Michael Chabon]] about [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]], focusing on two Jewish cousins, American writer Sam Clay (born Klayman) and Czech artist Josef Kavalier, who together create a popular superhero comic called the Escapist, inspired in equal measure by Harry Houdini and [[Superman]].
''[[The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay]]'' (2000) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by [[Michael Chabon]] about [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]], focusing on two Jewish cousins, American writer Sam Clay (born Klayman) and Czech artist Josef Kavalier, who together create a popular superhero comic called the Escapist, inspired in equal measure by Harry Houdini and [[Superman]].


Many events in the novel are based on the lives of actual comic-book creators, and the book as a whole is generally an homage to the comics of the [[The Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]].
Many events in the novel are based on the lives of actual comic-book creators, and the book as a whole is generally an homage to the comics of the [[The Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]].
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* [[Ambiguously Gay]]: [[Discussed Trope]]. The Senate committee grills Sam about the fact that he constantly creates young male sidekicks for his characters, and all but calls [[Batman]] gay.
* [[Ambiguously Gay]]: [[Discussed Trope]]. The Senate committee grills Sam about the fact that he constantly creates young male sidekicks for his characters, and all but calls [[Batman]] gay.
* [[A Nazi By Any Other Name]]: The "Razis", led by evil dictator "Atilla Haxoff". No one is fooled.
* [[A Nazi by Any Other Name]]: The "Razis", led by evil dictator "Atilla Haxoff". No one is fooled.
* [[All Germans Are Nazis]]: Deconstructed. Joe ends up venting his hatred of the Nazis on anyone who looks even vaguely German, regardless of whether they support Hitler. Near the end {{spoiler|when he's stationed in Antarctica with the Navy, he's so desperate to kill some Nazis that he goes out of his way to track down and kill an innocent German geologist. He immediately feels terrible about it}}.
* [[All Germans Are Nazis]]: Deconstructed. Joe ends up venting his hatred of the Nazis on anyone who looks even vaguely German, regardless of whether they support Hitler. Near the end {{spoiler|when he's stationed in Antarctica with the Navy, he's so desperate to kill some Nazis that he goes out of his way to track down and kill an innocent German geologist. He immediately feels terrible about it}}.
** Ironically, in one scene he actually saves the life of the Spaniard [[Salvador Dali]], apparently unaware that he's a prominent Fascist.
** Ironically, in one scene he actually saves the life of the Spaniard [[Salvador Dali]], apparently unaware that he's a prominent Fascist.
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* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Sam's father was always on the road. Just as well, as his relationship with Sam's mother was rather dysfunctional.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Sam's father was always on the road. Just as well, as his relationship with Sam's mother was rather dysfunctional.
** Also, {{spoiler|Joe becomes one to his own son after he joins the Navy and refuses to come home}}.
** Also, {{spoiler|Joe becomes one to his own son after he joins the Navy and refuses to come home}}.
* [[Dropped a Bridge On Him]]: {{spoiler|Tracy Bacon}} gets this towards the end. A few years after {{spoiler|Sam abandons him}}, we briefly learn that he was killed in the war.
* [[Dropped a Bridge on Him]]: {{spoiler|Tracy Bacon}} gets this towards the end. A few years after {{spoiler|Sam abandons him}}, we briefly learn that he was killed in the war.
* [[Easily Forgiven]]: {{spoiler|Rosa easily takes back Joe after he ran off for thirteen years, then came back and initiated a [[Zany Scheme]] to, [[It Makes Sense in Context|essentially, bungee jump off the Empire State Building]].}}
* [[Easily Forgiven]]: {{spoiler|Rosa easily takes back Joe after he ran off for thirteen years, then came back and initiated a [[Zany Scheme]] to, [[It Makes Sense in Context|essentially, bungee jump off the Empire State Building]].}}
* [[Escapism]]: The story deals with the theme of literal and metaphorical escapism, especially the way in which various characters use comics to escape the troubles of their lives. Kavalier wants to escape the memory of the Nazis and guilt over his little brother. Clay wishes to escape his closeted gay life and his disability. Together they create the Escapist, a literal escape artist, who gains popularity when the public uses him to escape from the war.
* [[Escapism]]: The story deals with the theme of literal and metaphorical escapism, especially the way in which various characters use comics to escape the troubles of their lives. Kavalier wants to escape the memory of the Nazis and guilt over his little brother. Clay wishes to escape his closeted gay life and his disability. Together they create the Escapist, a literal escape artist, who gains popularity when the public uses him to escape from the war.
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* [[Meaningful Name]]: Sam Clay's real last name is Klayman, or "Clay Man." The book heavily references the story of the Golem, another Clay Man. Kavalier is a play on the French "cavale", meaning escape. Joe's escape artist stage name is The Amazing Cavalieri, putting the emphasis closer to the French.
* [[Meaningful Name]]: Sam Clay's real last name is Klayman, or "Clay Man." The book heavily references the story of the Golem, another Clay Man. Kavalier is a play on the French "cavale", meaning escape. Joe's escape artist stage name is The Amazing Cavalieri, putting the emphasis closer to the French.
* [[Most Writers Are Writers]]
* [[Most Writers Are Writers]]
* [[Naked On Arrival]]: How Joe first meets Rosa. He and Sam are trying to get into the apartment building where the local cartoonists work, but the front door's locked, so he scales the fire escape and goes in through the window...only to find Rosa lying on the couch completely naked. As soon as his friends find out, one of them pays him to draw her naked from memory.
* [[Naked on Arrival]]: How Joe first meets Rosa. He and Sam are trying to get into the apartment building where the local cartoonists work, but the front door's locked, so he scales the fire escape and goes in through the window...only to find Rosa lying on the couch completely naked. As soon as his friends find out, one of them pays him to draw her naked from memory.
* [[Name's the Same]]: The Escapist fights crime in a generic New York-esque metropolis called "Empire City". [[In Famous (Video Game)|Sounds familiar...]]
* [[Name's the Same]]: The Escapist fights crime in a generic New York-esque metropolis called "Empire City". [[Infamous (video game series)|Sounds familiar...]]
* [[Offscreen Moment of Awesome]]: {{spoiler|Joe's trek across Antarctica is almost entirely skipped over. First, his pilot dies shortly into the trip and he is forced to continue flying it alone with no experience. After killing the German, he treks ''on foot'' across the Tundra and barely survives by finding an old pre-war German base camp and holing up.}}
* [[Offscreen Moment of Awesome]]: {{spoiler|Joe's trek across Antarctica is almost entirely skipped over. First, his pilot dies shortly into the trip and he is forced to continue flying it alone with no experience. After killing the German, he treks ''on foot'' across the Tundra and barely survives by finding an old pre-war German base camp and holing up.}}
* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: [[Salvador Dali]] in the party scene. Not surprising since he's, well...[[Crazy Awesome|Salvador]] [[Cloudcuckoolander|Dali]].
* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: [[Salvador Dali]] in the party scene. Not surprising since he's, well...[[Crazy Awesome|Salvador]] [[Cloudcuckoolander|Dali]].
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