A Visit from the Goon Squad

The body is the site of meaning and identity for individuals in A Visit from the Goon Squad. For Rhea and Jocelyn, blond hair is a genetic distinction that has social and cultural implications. Distinctions between natural hair color and obvious dye jobs reveal how characters use their bodies as sites of expression. Various characters have tattoos and scars, which communicate how they want to be seen in the world. In the final chapter, we read that the trend has moved away from tattoos and piercings altogether; thus, the absence of body markings becomes a statement in itself.

Through the relationships characters have with the marks on their bodies, we see the attempt to create distinctions between what is naturally occurring and what is constructed. The notion of identity is situated in the interplay between the two. Is the natural blonde somehow more authentic than the woman who has the financial means to appear natural? Identity is a composite of the character’s natural state and what the character chooses to communicate to the world by modifying their body.