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Investigation (Pym)

Explaining why he visits the scenes depicted in the kitsch paintings of “Master of Light” Thomas Karvel, Garth tells Chris Jaynes that “I like seeing the original site of the art. It’s like being able to climb in one” (36). For this investigation you will similarly travel (at least virtually) to “the original sites” that appear in Mat Johnson’s Pym.

The novel is very place-oriented, with Chris Jaynes roaming across cities, the country, and the world, often in tune with the particular geographic, demographic, and social features of the sites he visits. You will identify 5-7 sites of interest in Pym, map these sites as precisely as possible with Google Maps or Google Earth, and include a brief note about each site. The mapping part of the assignment will be followed by a brief 2-3 page reflection.

Directions

  • Visit Google Maps or download Google Earth. Google Maps works within your browser and can handle the crucial elements of the assignment. Google Earth runs on your Mac or Windows machine and offers a greater degree of control over your map (but it takes a reasonably modern computer to run).
  • Find 5-7 sites of interest in Pym. These are locations that Chris Jaynes visits, recalls in a flashback, or thinks about in the novel. The locations might be extremely specific (say, a specific subway stop or street address), approximate (perhaps a restaurant that could be the same one that appears in the novel),  or they might be more generalized (for example, an entire city). It’s not necessary that these 5-7 sites form a path that mirrors the chronology of the novel, but that approach is worth considering.
  • Each site of interest should be marked by a relevant quotation from the novel, including page numbers for reference. I encourage you to also include photos, videos, or audio that are linked to the location and which help convey a sense of the place. (See Brian Croxall’s tips on adding photos and videos to Google Earth.)
  • Finally, include a 3-4 sentence annotation for each site. The annotation should make a connection between that specific site and how it fits in with the novel’s themes (i.e. not how the site fits into the novel’s plot but how it reflects or amplifies the novel’s themes).
  • Export your map as a KML file. You will upload this file, along with your reflection, to Blackboard. The KML link will appear in tiny blue letters, next to a small icon that looks like waves (see example). If the export as KML link is not showing, try logging out of Google Maps and logging back in.
  • I have made a short video tutorial on using Google Maps for this project.

Questions to consider in your 2-3 page reflection:

  • Why did you choose these particular locations? What drew you to them?
  • Did this mapping assignment change your understanding of Pym? If so, how? If not, why not?
  • What did you learn from mapping Pym that you could not have learned by reading the novel?
  • Were there certain sites you mapped that seemed to be more evocative than others? Why?
  • What concerns of the novel come into greater focus when you concentrate on locations and the travels of Chris Jaynes throughout the novel?

You need not consider all of these questions, nor answer them in the order here. There is no need for a lofty introduction or conclusion with this reflection; rather spend your energy focused on actually reflecting on what you learned about Pym. Upload your reflection as a PDF to Blackboard by class time on Tuesday, September 25.

Note: This mapping Pym assignment was inspired by Brian Croxall’s Mapping Mrs. Dalloway assignment at Emory University, which itself was inspired by a similar assignment by Erin Sells.