The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Allan patiently waits out years of imprisonment in Sweden, the US, and Russia. Why does he live in a nursing home for only three months before deciding to escape?

Allan's companions Estebán, Ferguson, and the three Iranians all die as a direct result of defending their causes, while his companions Einstein, Julius, Benny, and Amanda all survive because they have no convictions. What is Johansson saying about the dangers of being a “true believer”?

On multiple occasions, serendipity saves Allan's life. For instance, when the Koreans are about to kill him, Mao Zedong happens to be in the room and intervenes on his behalf. When the trap he sets for the fox results in a far larger explosion, destroying his house, Allan survives because he’s on the other side of the house and is simply blown into a snowdrift. Is serendipity just a literary device, or does something in Allan's nature prompt the universe to take care of him?

By the time Allan reaches southern Europe on his first trip, he has met many Black people, something he had been interested in. However, he’s disinterested after meeting them because he finds no difference in them from all the white people he has known. What lesson about humanity does Allan learn from this experience?

Allan's intervention in the work at Los Alamos leads (in the story) directly to the creation of the first atomic bomb, which takes hundreds of thousands of lives in Japan and leaves the entire world under threat a possible nuclear conflict. Why doesn't Allan ever show any feelings of remorse or guilt about his part in the nuclear progression?

Jonasson constantly refers to Allan as a person free of idealism of any sort: politics, careerism, wealth accumulation, or religious belief. Could it be said, however, that Allan has unwavering, absolute faith in avoiding higher principles? Does he have an almost religious belief that one should avoid believing in any higher ideals, meaning that avoiding all idealism is his ideal? Refer to passages from the book to support your response.

The characterization of historical figures in the narrative may elicit emotional responses. For instance, the notion of Chinese dictator Mao Zedong sparing someone’s life may be humorous or jarring when one considers China’s Cultural Revolution. To what extent will the novel lose its pertinence for future generations? Use examples from the book to support your response.

Allan is so fond of good vodka throughout the book that it could itself be considered a character or a symbol/motif. How does Allan use vodka in achieving his goals? In what instances might drinking vodka be to Allan’s disadvantage?