Set mostly in Chicago before and during the Great Depression, The Adventures of Augie March gives readers several glimpses into the criminal world of the time, without all the pesky danger of actually being there. The poor steal to make ends meet, but we also meet swindlers and crooks that take to crime because they're good at it, or they're just plain bored. Augie March, the narrator of his adventures, meets all kinds of criminals, rich and poor, and he occasionally gets involved in their plots, big and small. For Augie, and for the novel, criminality is an aspect of human life. It's all around, but it doesn't have to define you, even if you're guilty of a few transgressions here and there. We wonder what Judge Judy would have to say about that…
Questions About Criminality
- Why does Augie March seem to have no ethical objection to crime?
- What does Augie mean when he says that he "somehow" got to be party to a robbery? (7.18)
- Why does Einhorn criticize Augie's work with Gorman when Einhorn himself is involved in a swindle?
- Which character would you say is the most "real" criminal?
Chew on This
Augie would have gotten further in life if he'd avoided crime.
Augie would not have found as much success if he'd avoided crime.