The Immortalists

Objects often point to the power of fate and magic in the lives of the characters. Magical objects emerge in the prologue in Bruna’s apartment, and objects like the I Ching and a tarot deck intrigue the children. Bruna confesses to Klara, “That stuff’s for show,” she said. “The people who come here? They like to think I know things for a reason. So I got props” (143). Though Bruna asserts that the objects themselves do not have power, they do have the ability to influence the minds of people who enter her apartment.

These objects also act as points of connection among characters. Many of these totemic objects exist in Klara’s life, such as a lacquered box she receives from her magic teacher, Ilya. This box, “made of wood and painted black, accompanied Ilya from sideshows to circuses until he contracted polio in 1931” (35). Klara keeps this box with her throughout her career, returning to it when she feels uninspired. It is a touchstone bringing her back to her passion and her teacher. Another object that emerges is Saul’s gold watch. At first, Klara has it, and she uses it to measure out the knocks she believes she hears from Simon. In this way, the object connects her with her deceased family members. The watch travels to Varya, who keeps it as a reminder of Saul.

Some objects are more seemingly ordinary, such as the paperweight in the shape of the Golden Gate Bridge. Varya gives it as a gift to Daniel, and when she visits the house after his death, she notes “Now, the gold plating had turned a coppery green; she had not known he’d kept it all these years” (290). Thus, this seemingly ordinary object is a link between Varya and Daniel.