Theme

The American Dream is a theme based on the idea that America is a land full of opportunities where everyone has the chance to recreate his or herself. In many instances the American Dream involves being rewarded for hard work and being able to prosper because of it. This Dream gives people a sense of hope and a sense of value in life that could possibly be fulfilled.

Abstractly enough this book related to the theme of the American Dream. Although it may not be the initial plot and issue of the book, there is definitely a sense of America giving these people opportunity. In this book in particular, the Jews had been a discriminated people and were on the verge of facing a complete genocide. The people in this novel were refugees after World War II and everywhere they turned to they had no place to go. Historically, the Jews were given the land of Israel to be there new home but in this alternate reality Chabon changes the situation. After having no place to go, these Jews were presented land as a safe-haven in a small portion of Sitka, Alaska. These Jews were given the opportunity to live a life in America and live the American Dream. They finally had the chance to live in a place where they would no longer be suppressed as they had been in the Holocaust. It allowed these people to be given a chance at restarting their lives after losing almost everything that had been important to them. When these Jews came to America they tended to stay together and form a strong Jewish community. Once the community had established their foundations in America they became a thriving and well off community living the life of the American Dream, recreating their lives and making them the best they could after such a catastrophe. Given this land the Jews formed their own little thriving community that allowed them to live the American Dream.

The Community is also a theme in the book where all of these Jews show a strong sense of family and community. Everyone knows everyone in this community and as many small Jewish communities everyone ends up knowing just about everything about each other. Many of Landsman’s memories as a child have been surrounded by the many people in this Jewish community. Because he ends up becoming lonely with the death of his father and sister, the tight knit Jewish community gives him a sense of being comforted although it may be in a dumpster hotel.