Amerika: The Missing Person

Amerika is considered a satire, yet it was written by a novelist who never visited America. In what ways does it successfully satirize life in America? In what ways does it misrepresent said life?

Amerika’s fragmented chapters (Chapters 8-9) leave many gaps in Karl’s story between his leaving Brunelda and Delamarche’s apartment and when he arrives at the Theater of Oklahoma. In 1-2 paragraphs, fill in these gaps while taking account for Karl’s growth and transformation as a character.

The final chapter is distinctly different from the rest of the novel in that Karl finally finds a place where he belongs. Does the Theater of Oklahoma symbolize an afterlife or utopia? How does the theater appear to be representative of paradise? How does it fall short of paradise?