Symbols

The game of chess is a big symbol reoccurring almost throughout the entire novel. In the very first scene when we the crime scene is investigated, Landsman pays particular attention to the chess board that seems to be set up in a very precise way.

“It looks like he had a game going on, a messy-looking middle game with Black’s king under attack at the center of the board and White having the advantage of a couple of pieces. It’s a cheap set, the board a square of card that folds down the middle, the pieces hollow, with plastic nubs where they were extruded.” (4)

The actually set up of the particular game that the man had been in seemed to have a big impact on Landsman. Because there wasn’t much else that was worthwhile looking at in the room this chess board seemed to be his biggest clue.

In the Jewish community, on the Sabbath, since work is not allowed to be done, the only game allowed to be played on this holy day is chess. In fact, almost everyone in this Sitka community seemed to be very familiar with chess. When talking to possible suspects most of them were associated with chess or new Mendel for his chess skills. In the novel chess is almost a way of life. When talking about the skills as a chess player it seems as if they are actually talking about their own character. At the end of the novel when the clues are starting to be put together we see the symbolism of the chess board in Mendel’s life. The particular board he had set up was set up in way where the Black side was forced into a move that ultimately led him to checkmate. The particular situation left the Black side with no good moves at all. This is how Mendel saw his own life. He saw that after all of this he basically has no other good move but to die.

Two other symbols that are present in the novel are the World’s Fair shot glass and his car. In the very beginning of the novel we are introduced to both of these symbols. The shot glass is introduced as “the shot glass that he is currently dating, a souvenir of the World’s Fair 1977” (2). Obviously Landsman is a blatant alcoholic but the shot glass only comes up in particular moments. Whenever Landsman is feeling the slightest bit depressed, he turns to this shot glass to ease the situation because he has no other way of coping with his issues. I think the shot glass basically represents this false life and an escape for Landsman. Every time we see him use the shot glass he is trying to get out of this life that he is living and get this false feeling of contentment when in reality he knows the life he is living should be better.

The 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport seems to be another small symbol in the book. One quote can basically sum up how the car is basically symbolic of Landsman’s life.

“Landsman is at the wheel of a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport, which he bought ten years ago in an access of nostalgic optimism and has driven until all its secret flaws seem indistinguishable from his own. In the ’71 model year, the Chevelle went from two pair of headlight bulbs to a single pair. Right now one of these bulbs is blown” (35)

Just from this quote we can see the resemblance of the car and Landsman. The car is ultimately symbolic of the life that Landsman is living. He is a depressed alcoholic who often can’t get his mind out of the past. The car seems to be just as beat up as he is and it seems like there is no turning around for Landsman.