I Am the Cheese Allusions & Cultural References

When authors refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.

Literary References

  • Thomas Wolfe (1.2, 10.7, 30.9)
  • Thomas Wolfe, The Web and the Rock (1.2)
  • Ernest Hemingway (8.9)
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald (8.9)
  • Tom Wolfe (not to be confused with Thomas Wolfe) (10.7)
  • "The Invisible Man" (by G.K. Chesterton) (22.1)
  • Edgar Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale Heart" (22.16)

Historical References

  • Iwo Jima (World War II) (3.27)
  • Mafia (25.12)

Pop Culture References

  • "The Farmer in the Dell " (sung by Adam – and his family – throughout his journey)
  • Boston Red Sox (8.9)
  • New England Patriots (8.9)
  • "Twelfth Street Rag," Louis Armstrong (8.10)
  • W.C. Fields (8.13)
  • John Wayne (25.10)
  • It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and "Claudette Somebody" (Colbert) (30.17)