Essay Questions

What is the significance of the novel’s title?

The title of the novel is a reference to the novel’s plot, that is the deities of the Norse peoples, Egyptians, and other ancient people groups have made it to American soil, carried over by their devotees that migrated to the US over the course of many centuries. It is also a reference to the “new gods” created from the new ideas and concepts that have taken center stage in the collective consciousness of modern humanity that has supplanted the worship of the “old gods.”

How is the theme of faith explored in the novel?

The theme of faith as discussed in the novel can be defined as the set of lenses that humanity sees the world through. Through these lenses of faith man is able to make sense of the world around them. This concept of faith as a framework on which reality hinges on is explored in the novel through an interesting twist on how gods are birthed into existence. In American Gods, gods did not create man but rather man creates god as a means of making sense of natural phenomenon that occurred around them. Gods are born from the collective consciousness of humanity trying to wrap their minds around concepts like storms and harvests. God therefore are really nothing more than self-aware embodiments of concepts like war and fertility; but the most fascinating twist is this: they are actually dependent on men to provide them with their source of divine might and the most vital component of their continued existence: worship. Worship and faith therefore cease to become expressions of love and gratitude but treated much like currency that they elicit from their believers by doing them favors such as giving them a plentiful harvest or helping them carry out vendettas. Gods are dependent on human worship because without it they cease to exist. Human faith however isn’t placed solely upon the gods. Humanity keeps on creating new systems of belief and new things to put their trust in such as technology.

What is the main reason for orchestrating the war of the gods?

There are two main things that the gods want: worship and relevance. In the ancient days these gods were relevant because they were the means by which humanity made sense of the phenomena that happened around them. These gods, in turn, received worship as a result of the relevance that was given to them by humanity. When natural phenomena began to be explained by science and made safe by technology the gods ceased to be significant and naturally worship of them died out as well. A select handful of gods however, namely Odin and Loki, realize that worship is a broad term with several loopholes they can exploit. They also realize that worship need not necessarily come from mortals. The war of the gods therefore is a carefully organized, highly elaborate, two-man con devised by Odin and Loki to get them the two things they desire most in the world: worship and relevance.