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Essay Topics and Critical Commentary*
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1. Explain the thematic significance of the water and fish symbols.
2. Explain the thematic significance of the motion imagery in the novel. How does it reflect Herzogs's internal condition?
3. Can Herzog be considered Heroic? Explain your reasons.
4. Is the protagonist (Herzog) mad or sane? Defend your position.
5. Discuss the comic irony of Herzog as an intellectual.
6. Carefully examine Herzog's train ride, subway ride and his drive through Chicago. At what level is his journey toward self-awareness at each stage?
7. Analyze the theme of death as it is developed through Herzog's memories, thoughts of the past and his encounter with Lucas Asphalter.
8. Discuss the theme of concealed identity with respect to characters, images and philosophical backgrounds. What is "concealed identity" and why do characters seek it?
9. Describe your views of the crucial turning points in Herzog's quest for sanity and stability.
Instructor's Recommendation: I would like to see an essay on the theme of how difficult it is to live life in an increasingly complex world. Our post-industrialized world assigns us numbers; many of us have relationships with people we never meet (through email and chat rooms); we don't even have to enter a store in person--we can do our shopping on the internet. Moses Herzog is thrown head-long into crises that are related to the modern world. What are the difficulties Herzog encounters? How does he cope with them? How does he find peace in his life? Is Bellow sending the world a message about our world?
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