An American Dream Theme of The Supernatural

For a hardboiled crime novel, An American Dream sure features a lot of bizarre and supernatural happenings. Some characters can read minds; others can predict the future; and some are just superstitious, convinced of every old wives' tale they've ever heard. By juxtaposing these supernatural elements with the grittiness of 1960s Manhattan, Mailer argues that our so-called "rational" world is just a front for the madness that lies beneath the surface—both collectively and within all of us. That's almost as spooky as a Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.

1. In what ways are supernatural powers used to make money? What else are they used for?
2. Are the supernatural elements of the novel real or imagined by Rojack? Explain your answer.
3. What do Rojack's superstitious beliefs about God and the Devil say about his character?
4. In your opinion, why does Rojack gain Cherry's predictive powers after she dies?

In the novel, supernatural powers are used as a metaphor for the irrational undercurrent that runs beneath our rational world.

In actuality, the so-called "supernatural" powers displayed in the novel are nothing but evidence of Rojack's madness.