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Journal Entries for the American Gods Novel Chapters

Chapters 1 and 2 Journal

“You will work for me. You will protect me. You will help me” (Gaiman, 33). Mr. Wednesday males this quote in the Novel’s chapter two which is entitled the American Gods. This is an address from Mr. Wednesday to shadow bar whereby they were striking a deal for shadow to work as Mr. Wednesday’s bodyguard. From the chapter one of the book, we can recall that the first meeting that Mr. Wednesday had with Mr shadow was on a plane that Shadow had boarded while going home after being released from prison where he had imprisoned for three years. Mr. Wednesday got the chance to talk to him so that he would work for him but at first, Shadow had declined the offer. After Shadow gets in a bar, it happens by coincidence that Mr. Wednesday also enters the same bar and comes up with the same proposal of offering him a job like he had done before. Mr. Wednesday hands over a newspaper which after reading Shadow realizes that Robbie had perished together with his wife in a horrible accident. In fact, they were having oral sex before they died. Robbie had promised Shadow a job, and from the information in the newspaper, it dawns on Shadow that Robbie is no more. Though shadow did not want to work for Wednesday, he agrees to take the job because he was left with no option and thus he is the given the job of being a bodyguard and driver. The quote that is made above by Mr. Wednesday is a response to Shadow’s questions about the duties that he will be performing for him. Mr. Wednesday tell Shadow that he would be offering assistance to him as well as protecting him. The duties will also be many to Shadow because he will also act as Wednesday’s messenger and deliver his messages to various destinations. Wednesday also makes it clear to Shadow that he would be hurting people and that would be his responsibility. He tells him that the people whom he thinks should be cut would be the Job of shadow to do.

Chapters 3 and 4 Journal

Something very peculiar occurs in chapter three of this novel whereby there is a reappearance of Laura who had previously died in a car accident, but then she is alive. Shadow had gone to spend the night in a motel room whereby Wednesday was because he was frightened of staying at his home. (Gaiman, 78).Shadow moon starts experiencing some strange dreams after sleeping, and when he wakes up, he finds Laura at his bed just after getting out of the bathroom. The dreams that Shadow skills involve the old gods and their glory that they lost. In the dream, shadow happens to see himself in a museum that is endowed by statues that have genitals belonging to monsters. A voice in the dream tells him that the statues were gods in existence in the past. The view confirms that the gods died due to the failure of the people in worshipping them. Shadow is also perplexed to find Laura seated on his bed. However, Shadow Moon does not show any emotions of being frightened. Laura explains to Shadow that she is dead but is not aware of the power that is making her have the ability to move around. She asks for a cigarette from shadow but shadow hesitates, but Laura tells him that she does not fear to face the health hazards because she is already dead and this statement makes shadow to give in to her demands. In that conversation, Shadow grasps the opportunity of inquiring from Laura whether she had been in a relationship with Robbie after which Laura accepts. However, Laura tells shadow that she had the plans of terminating the affair when Shadow would be released from prison. In fact, Laura tells Shadow that the act of sex that they had together in the car was symbolic of a farewell to him, but they died in the process. The conversation between Laura and Shadow makes us aware that Shadow had been imprisoned because of Laura but no reason outlines this.

Chapters 5 and 6 Journal

The most interesting part in these two chapters is the plan that Mr. Wednesday and Shadow Moon hatch of robbing a bank. In particular this act occurs in Chapter five of this novel (Gaiman, 101). The plan is developed by the two of them while they were traveling from a visit they had paid to the three sisters at the home of Czernbog. This program comprises of Wednesday going to the bank and picking up the deposit slips from the customers who bring them while they want their money to be kept in the bank while shadow to play as the supervisor of the guard, that is Mr. Wednesday. The slips which are taken by Wednesday from the customers are later to be photocopied at Kinko.Mr. Wednesday informs shadow of the challenges of snow as well as other problems that Shadow thinks of. It becomes a coincidence that it starts to snow in a mysterious way and Mr. Wednesday transforms to a guard. He places a note in the deposit box that informs the customers that the box is not working at that particular time. He then offers the customers another box after which he starts collecting the deposit of the client slips. Shadow is given the responsibility of watching over Wednesday while in a supermarket. The police come to check on the fairing on of the guard after which Wednesday gives them the contacts of his supervisor who happens to be Mr. Shadow and informs them that they can talk to him. However, these contacts belong to the supermarket’s payphone where the shadow is hiding. When the payphone rings Shadow answers it and asserts that he is the guard’s supervisor and he tells them that everything is okay. The police go away, and the two of them get out of the bank loaded with money having finished their mission.

Chapters 7 and 8 Journal

The interesting part of chapter seven and eight that is worth noting is the time when a cat prevented Shadow from committing suicide. At the same time, such a magical experience also occurs in Chapter eight of the novel. Shadow encounters the cat again while he was in the bar with the Egyptian god’s jacquel and Ibis and the cat came and sat next to him. He decided to keep the cat as his pet.Shadow had made a decision to work with these gods who were working in a funeral home after which they offered him some work as he was waiting for Wednesday to return. (Gaiman, 180).

However, the shadow seems to be very uncomfortable with the job, and that’s why he experiences suicidal thoughts. In this particular day, Shadow Moon cleaned himself in the room that he was given by the gods where he was residing at that given time.However, he experiences a flashback of the hard times that he had undergone in his mind. Shadow recalls the torment that he had experienced simply because he was black and he had thought that was too much for him. He seemed to be tired of seeing himself alive because he considered that he had undergone a lot of suffering and that would take him a lot of time for him to fully recover. He took a razor and wanted to cut his throat when the Magic Cat opened the door thus distracting his attention and making him reconsider his previous opinion of killing himself.Thus, he decided to ignore everything. As we come to understand later in the novel, the cat had the knowledge that Shadow would attempt to kill himself and this stuns us more to find out about the cat.

Chapters 9 and 10 Journal

“This was not simply cold: this was science fiction” (Gaiman, 233).Shadow Moon makes this comment after experiencing cold in the Lakeside. This quote is closely followed by a dream that Shadow experienced the previous night. He dreamt of himself being a child who had been raised up in darkness. Suddenly h is exposed to the light, and that makes him feel like a fool. In fact, he does not even have the knowledge of what a knife is. Shadow happens to laugh at the knife but it cuts him, and that’s he ends up being sacrificed. From the fright, he wakes up to find himself naked and freezing outside. He lacks everything that could be of help to him, for example, a car to take him to the nearest center or food in his home. He then makes a decision to walk to the center that is nearby so that he would buy food and clothes. As he walks, he is offered a lift by Chad Mulligan who is a police officer in his car. Mulligan offers Shadow the chance of feeling the warmth of the car, and that’s why shadow makes the above comment in a bid to explain how it was cold outside. This quote acts as a symbol that helps us to figure out about the lakeside. It helps us to understand that despite the lake being an idyllic appearance as it is portrayed in the novel it acts as the means that it could be an imagined place because of the experiences that wee unpleasant encountered by shadow.

Chapters 11 and 12 Journal

“Colorful fakes of life. Each with a hook hidden inside it” (Gaiman, 258).Hinzelmann makes this quote in chapter 11.In this chapter, he happens to be the god of the people living in the Lakeside Town and who takes care of them. He speaks to shadow moon who went there to receive a game that is organized by Hinzelmann every year. This game involves putting an old car in a lake that is frozen and mak8ing the people to bet the time when the snow would melt and allow the vehicle to sink. The person who makes the closest bet would be the winner. So, in this day when the quote was said, Shadow had paid a visit to Hinzelmann where he had gone to watch the game then Hinzelmann makes this particular comment. This quote serves as an explanation of the gods that were in existence in America. In fact, it acts as a metaphor that portrays the gods as fake characters in their relationships with the human beings. Wednesday who is a Norse god, for instance, is used as a propagation of the eternal war between the new and old gods to his advantage. Bilquis is also another god that happens to be a prostitute and lies to many men and kills them through using her vagina. She devours the people by the utilization of the organ. Zorya Vechernyaya who acts as a fortune teller gives lies about the future, and that makes him not to be trusted by the people. In short, Hinzelmann’s quote means that the gods that were in existence in the past America show the people the things that they desire and in the process, they take wherever they want from them. In that case, they are seen as Con-unsuspecting individuals who have a belief in anything that they say and do.

Chapters 13 and 14 Journal

The most interesting thing in Chapter 13 and 14 is the performance of a vigil by Shadow Moon, but it happens to be towards the end of section 14.As we can remember, Shadow was to perform a vigil when Wednesday died according to the deal that they entered. Wednesday had been killed by the new gods, and that was the best time that shadow would fulfill his promise. In chapter two shadow had vowed to perform anything as instructed by saying “….until then, I will be working for you” (Gaiman, 39).From the outline of the vigil’s requirements by Mr. Nancy to Shadow Moon, we can learn that the vigil is inclusive of hanging the performer on a world tree for nine days that is inclusive of nights. Moreover, no food or water is offered to the artist, and they have to fight to survive. This part interests us as we try to comprehend whether shadow would be alive at the end of the nine days or not. Indeed shadow is handed naked onto the world tree. As a result, the people who hanged him kept him to service or die. As we come to learn later, the vigil was imperative because it helped in revealing the hidden past that was important in diminishing the unending war between the old and new Gods. (Gaiman, 326). Firstly, it dawns on Shadow that he is the son of Mr. Wednesday. Secondly, he also learns the war that is ongoing was instigated by his father through the fights so that he would gain power. Additionally, he acquires the power that would be used in ending the war.

Chapters 15 and 16 Journal

“Life and death are two sides of the same coin” (Gaiman, 426). Mr. Ibis gives this quote while addressing Shadow in Chapter 16.This quote forms an integral part of this chapter. In short what Mr. Ibis tries to tell shadow is that life exists in two forms that are chosen by the human beings. He says that the third face of life is presented only to fools and gods. (Gaiman, 426). Shadow replies to this quote by mentioning the word “double-headed quarter,” which serves as an enlightenment to us about something that was said to Shadow by Sam when they met for dinner. It acts as a revelation to us that there could be a high probability that the relative of Sam could neither be a fool or a god. This quote brings great purpose in this chapter’s plot. The section is inclusive of Shadow’s meeting with Zorya Polunochnaya whereby shadow tries as much as possible to get answers from Zorya about his past. Zorya accepts to tell shadow about his past but with the condition that he would make a particular choice. In that case, Shadow is meant to choose the way of the truth that would hurt or the way of lies which would act as a comfort to him. There are two choices which shadow is presented with just like a coin possesses two sides. Shadow is meant to make a decision and take one choice because failure to do so would result to a state of nothingness which is not an option between the two. After shadow makes the selection of truth that he was previously would hurt he is informed that he has to reveal his real name. From this escapade, we can know shadow’s name as Baldur Moon.

Chapters 17 and 18 Journal

The interesting part that occurs in these chapters is the gathering of both the old and new gods at a place that is referred to as Rock City so that they can all fight for supremacy.

(Gaiman, 442). This act commences in the 17th chapter where the gods converge so that they may prepare for the fight that occurs in the sections that follow. From the recent episodes, we know that there is a war that is ongoing between the new and the old gods that were orchestrated mainly by Mr. Wednesday. Therefore the converging of the gods is very detrimental to us because we seek to know who the winner of the fight is.This contest also serves as the end of the strife that has been in existence because only one category of the gods would be ruling.

While preparing for the battle, the new gods arrive in Rock City in Limos whereas the old gods are armed with weapons that were used in the ancient times. The author gives a description of the old gods as being yuppies while they were coming to war and self-obsessed characters who had a tendency of talking as corporate shills. The illustration given by the author about the old gods is that they were even crazier than the new gods, for example, one particular god Baron Samendi possessed a girl that had been residing in Chattanooga. The act of Baron Samendi of harboring the girl’s body shows us that death can assume various forms. The place that is designated for war is hilly since it had been purported that the winners would stay on the hills thus the gods who would win the war would remain in the hills forever.

Chapters 19 and 20 Journal

The thing that mostly interests us is the discovery of McGovern’s body by Shadow that helps to solve the mystery of his murder in chapter 20.Shadow tries to recollect his life back to normal as he ends the war in section 18 while getting assistance from Mr. Nancy. While in Mr. Nancy’s house shadow moon remembers that he had been instructed by God Ganesh to go and check the truck’s back before the melting away of the Ice.He runs to the lakeside and strides on the Ice-cold lake so that he may reach the vehicle before it drowned as a result of the melting ice. (Gaiman, 492). However, as shadow attempts to open the car’s truck, Hinzelmann rescues him from drowning in the lake.However, it is revealed to shadow that Hinzelmann had killed all those kids and the main reason why shadow had come to rescue him from drowning was that he would not be able to know the truth of the matter. It is also revealed to as the act of killing the kids was an act of debt payment that Hinzelmann owed Mr. Wednesday. Moreover, we also learn that this lake was made by Hinzelmann so that he would carry out his heinous activities. It had been a very exciting discovery for shadow. Chad Mulligan arrives just in time and shoots Hinzelmann because of his actions. He also sets his house ablaze. If it weren’t the efforts of Shadow in unraveling the whole truth, then the mysteries about the murders would not have been solved. Thus through shadow justice is served in this last chapter.

Work Cited

Gaiman, Neil. American gods. Hachette UK, 2011.