The Exile | Topics for Discussion & Projects

The Exile Key Questions

1. How do "fascist Germany and contemporary Los Angeles interpenetrate"?

Does comic absurdism of Los Angeles conflict with the imagery of the city of death, Berlin, creating a discordant narrative?

2. What techniques does Kotzwinkle use to convey his vision of Berlin?

3. Is David Caspian's Hollywood life shallow? Does his spirit require more substance, more matters of real importance?

4. Are Caspian and Felix Falkenhayn two different people or part of a single personality?

5. Is Caspian's psychological disintegration symbolic of an actor's task?

6. What idea or set of ideas is Kotzwinkle reaching for in his often symbolic account of the psychic transference of Caspian and Falkenhayn? Do their past and present personalities provide contrasts that illuminate any social themes?

7. Is there rational explanation for Caspian's transformations into Falkenhayn?

8. What...
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