Essay Questions

How is the theme of detachment discussed in the novel?

The main character, Julius, serves not only as the novel’s narrator but he also embodies the theme of detachment. He comes from a multiracial background but raised fully American and raised as native New Yorker. As a result he experiences the unique challenge of being “neither-here-nor-there” detached from the cultures of his parents and genuinely ignorant of the struggles of his forebears but more than that he is also detached emotionally as a result of his recent break-up.

What is the significance of the novel’s title?

The title of the novel is a reference to the practice of declaring an open city in the event of wartime aggressions to avoid destruction of city structures and the loss of civilian lives. This is an appropriate title for the novel as it reads like a travelogue of New York City told through the eyes of one man in a similar format as a captain’s log or a diary.

What does Ground Zero symbolize in the novel?

Ground Zero, or the site of the tragic 9/11 Terror Attacks is symbolic of unity formed from collective suffering. This is particularly meaningful for the character Julius as he wanders the city looking for something to balance out his feeling of emotional detachment and otherness from people. The narrator recalls the sensations he felt during those dark moments because even though it was a horrible time in the collective history of the citizens of New York City it was also an event that unified the citizenry like nothing ever did.