Essay Questions

Explore the idea of sibling rivalry and the role it plays in Jacques Poulin's Volkswagen Blues.

While still on his trip to find something new that he can write about, Jacques Waterman, the protagonist of the story, learns of a postcard from his brother Theo. At this point, the reader becomes aware that the two characters, Theo and Jacques, do not talk despite being brothers. Also, the reader becomes aware of the reason that the two brothers do not talk—a feud that ensued between the two in their past. Jacques's desire to resolve the differences between him and his brother shapes the plot of the remaining part of the novel as the character suddenly cancels plans to continue with the road trip until he finds Theo. After an extensive search, Jacques is able to find Theo, but he is in no shape to recognize his brother. He is not only paralyzed but also has lost his memory of Jacques.

Jacques's life is dotted with misfortune. Show how the writer brings out the same concept in Volkswagen Blues.

The whole reason that Jacques goes on the trip with his Volkswagen is that he is suffering from a case of writer's block. As a writer, he is unable to produce any kind of work and thus looks forward to this road trip to aid him in producing some new works. This is the first case of misfortune on Jacques's part. On this road trip, Jacques finds a postcard sent from his brother Theo. Due to the fact that the two have been in bad books with each other and no longer talk, Jacques is overcome by the need to find his brother and perhaps resolve their differences. After long searches, when he finally meets his brother, he is no shape to remember him, having lost his memory and is paralyzed. This is another case of misfortune as Jacques does not have the chance to resolve the problem between him and his brother, Theo. However, it is not all bad news as he finally has something to write about.

In which genre can the novel be placed?

The novel can be described as a road novel since the action takes place while the main character is on the road, traveling from place to place in what seems to be an endless road trip. This type of novel was inspired by the road movies, a popular genre in the middle of the 20th century. During these trips, the main characters embark on a self-discovery journey. The main characters are almost exclusively male and going through some life crisis which can be resolved only by breaking away from the day to day life and going through a series of challenges and difficulties. These characteristics can also be found in the novel and the pattern followed by the story is almost identical to the one found in many famous road trip movies.