Bennie Salazar Character Analysis in A Visit from the Goon Squad

Another main character in the novel, Bennie is a record executive. His mentor, Lou Kline, introduces him to the music industry as a teenager, and he becomes very successful. His success, however, leaves him disconnected from the people he loves, including his son Christopher. When it comes to music, Bennie is a purist and hates producing music he doesn’t believe in. Ultimately, his devotion to music that he considers pure ruins his credibility in the music industry, as he refuses to stand behind the overproduced and soulless pop groups that companies want him to produce. Though Bennie is intelligent and charismatic, he struggles internally with his Hispanic identity and often feels like an outsider. Like Sasha, he also worries about aging, and suffers from sexual impotence that stems from the shame around his failures. By the end of the novel, however, Benny reclaims his status in the music industry and finds self-acceptance.

Bennie Salazar Quotes in A Visit from the Goon Squad

The A Visit from the Goon Squad quotes below are all either spoken by Bennie Salazar or refer to Bennie Salazar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Bennie's assistant, Sasha, brought him coffee: cream and two sugars. He shimmied a tiny red enameled box from his pocket, popped the tricky latch, pinched a few gold flakes between his trembling fingers, and released them into his cup. He'd begun this regimen two months ago, after reading in a book on Aztec medicine that gold and coffee together were believed to ensure sexual potency. Bennie's goal was more basic than potency: sex drive, his own having mysteriously expired.

Related Characters: Bennie Salazar (speaker), Sasha Blake

Related Symbols: The Body and Appearance

Page Number and Citation: 21-22

Explanation and Analysis:

This chapter (and scene) takes place chronologically before the last story, prior to Sasha’s loss of her job as Bennie’s secretary as the result of her stealing. Like Sasha, Bennie struggles with the fact that he is aging. Again, the body serves to symbolically point toward the ruinous effects of time, as Bennie’s sexual dysfunction is manifested in his physical body. His sexual impotence also speaks metaphorically to the impotency he is experiencing in his life and career. This impotency is incredibly damaging to Bennie’s ego—his identity is rooted in his power as a record executive. His faith in the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedi

Then the sisters began to sing. Oh, the raw, almost threadbare sound of their voices mixed with the clash of instruments—these sensations met with a faculty deeper in Bennie than judgment or even pleasure; they communed directly with his body…And here was his first erection in months…He seized the cowbell and stick and began whacking at it with zealous blows. He felt the music in his mouth, his ears, his ribs—or was that his own pulse? He was on fire!

Related Characters: Bennie Salazar (speaker)

Related Symbols: The Body and Appearance

Page Number and Citation: 30

Explanation and Analysis:

In this scene Bennie has gone to visit a sister duo called “Stop/Go,” which he long ago signed to his record label. In the past, Bennie has maintained his identity as a powerful record executive by signing successful bands, but “Stop/Go” has failed to produce a record since he signed them, causing doubt in his identity and ruin in his career. Bennie, however, remains a purist when it comes to music, and as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that he cares more about the quality of the music than the amount of records sold. In this scene, Bennie connects Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt.

"It's incredible," Sasha said, "how there's just nothing there."
Astounded, Bennie turned to her…Sasha was looking downtown, and he followed her eyes to the empty space where the Twin Towers had been.
"There should be something, you know?" she said, not looking at Bennie. "Like an echo. Or an outline."

Related Characters: Sasha Blake (speaker), Bennie Salazar (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 36

Explanation and Analysis:

As Bennie drives Sasha home through New York City after their visit to the house of the “Stop/Go” sisters, they pass the place where the Twin Towers stood before the terrorist attack of September 11th, 2001. In the novel, several sites in New York City, including the East River and the Twin Towers, serve as reflections of the ruin in the lives of the novel’s characters. Both Bennie and Sasha have sustained significant ruin their lives—Sasha through her stealing and Bennie through his egotism and self-centeredness—and their attention to the ruin of Ground Zero reflects this shared experience. Sasha’s comments Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore.

I looked down at the city. Its extravagance felt wasteful, like gushing oil or some other precious thing Bennie was hoarding for himself, using it up so no one else could get any. I thought: If I had a view like this to look down on every day, I would have the energy and inspiration to conquer the world. The trouble is, when you most need such a view, no one gives it to you.

Related Characters: Scotty Hausman (speaker), Bennie Salazar

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 103

Explanation and Analysis:

Scotty has decided to come to Bennie’s office on 5th avenue in New York City to figure out what happened between their falling-out as teenagers and where they have both ended up as adults. In the years since their disconnection, Bennie has become a powerful record executive, and his success is depicted in Scotty’s description of his office and the view. Scotty, however, has lived a ruinous and resentful existence, working as a janitor and spending his free time fishing and lamenting the loss of his wife. A fundamental component of Scotty’s identity his belief that he has been cheated Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas d

Stephanie and Bennie had lived in Crandale a year before they were invited to a party. It wasn't a place that warmed easily to strangers…It wore on Stephanie more than she'd expected, dropping off Chris for kindergarten, waving or smiling at some blond mother releasing blond progeny from her SUV or Hummer, and getting back a pinched, quizzical smile whose translation seemed to be: Who are you again? How could they not know, after months of daily mutual sightings? They were snobs or idiots or both, Stephanie told herself, yet she was inexplicably crushed by their coldness.

Related Characters: Stephanie (speaker), Bennie Salazar

Page Number and Citation: 111

Explanation and Analysis:

After achieving incredible success in the music business, Bennie and Stephanie move to Crandale, a wealthy and exclusive community outside of New York City. Bennie hopes that moving to the community will allow him to assume the identity of a typically successful American man, but both Bennie and Stephanie feel disconnected and inauthentic in the new community. The difference between the Crandale community and the community the couple left in New York City creates an identity crisis in Stephanie. She both judges the women of Crandale and desperately wants their acceptance. This conflicting desire to both separate herself from and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at

The topic was the presence of Al Qaeda in the New York area. Operatives were present, Bill confided, especially in the outer boroughs, possibly in communication with one another (Stephanie noticed Clay's pale eyebrows suddenly lift, and his head gave a single odd jerk, as if he had water in one ear), but the question was: how strong a link did they have to the mother ship—here Bill laughed—because any kook with a grudge could call himself Al Qaeda, but if he lacked money, training, backup (Clay gave another quick head shake, then flicked his eyes at Bennie, to his right), it made no sense to allocate resources…

Related Characters: Stephanie (speaker), Bennie Salazar

Page Number and Citation: 116

Explanation and Analysis:

In this scene, Stephanie and Bennie are at a party with members of the Crandale Community. Over time, they have begun to make some connections in Crandale and are invited to parties, but as this scene suggests, they are still considered outsiders. At this particular party, the conversation has shifted to the fear of terrorism in post-9/11 America. This tragic event not only had ruinous physical effects on New York City, but also tragic implications on the nation’s psyche. Suspicion, especially regarding those who do not appear white, is a reality in this world and explored through the second half Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus

Bennie Salazar Character Timeline in A Visit from the Goon Squad

The timeline below shows where the character Bennie Salazar appears in A Visit from the Goon Squad. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...at the television in the bar while Sasha tells him stories about her old boss, Bennie Salazar. Sasha goes to the bathroom and returns with the stolen wallet. After stealing it,... (full context)

Fame, Art, and Popular Culture Theme Icon

Bennie Salazar, owner of Sow’s Ear Records, experiences shameful memories as he meets with executives of... (full context)

The word “sisters” brings back a memory to Bennie from twenty years prior. After a night of partying, Bennie hid behind a fence as... (full context)

Shaken by the memory, Bennie does not want to listen to the Stop/Go mix with his colleagues. Instead, he decides... (full context)

On his way to pick up his son Christopher, Bennie listens to classic punk rock music and laments the current state of the music industry.... (full context)

Bennie picks up his nine-year-old son, Christopher, and notices that his own mood changes as soon... (full context)

Sasha waits for Bennie at the house of the Stop/Go sisters. As Sasha says hello to Christopher, Bennie again... (full context)

...sisters, Chandra and Louisa, look fantastic, and have a bunch of new material to show Bennie. Chandra’s daughter, Olivia, is also there, and Bennie notes Christopher’s reaction to her, like a... (full context)

As they play, however, Bennie remembers a time he was inadvertently copied on an email between two colleagues in which... (full context)

Bennie drives home with Sasha and Christopher. He feels the magic of the afternoon continue to... (full context)

When they reach the home where Christopher lives with his mother, Bennie is unable to pull up the driveway. Christopher tells Bennie to take some of his... (full context)

...just nothing there any longer. She says there should be something—an echo, or an outline. Bennie remembers looking at his mentor, Lou Kline, and thinking, “You’re finished.” Nostalgia, Bennie thinks, is... (full context)

At a stoplight, Bennie remembers the list he has been writing on the parking ticket. He pulls it out,... (full context)

...told through the voice of a young woman named Rhea. Late at night, Rhea, Scotty, Bennie, and Jocelyn go to Alice’s house. Alice tells the group about a private school where... (full context)

...place. She enjoys punk rock music, and spends her time hanging out with Scotty and Bennie, who are in a punk rock band called the Flaming Dildos. At school, Rhea, Scotty,... (full context)

Bennie is new to the school, and wears his hair in a Mohawk. Bennie is able... (full context)

...a song called “what the fuck” about a failed relationship. While everyone sings, Rhea watches Bennie, admiring his Mohawk, but he turns his attention to Alice. (full context)

Bennie and Scotty later drive around from club to club with the recording of their music,... (full context)

Later, Bennie tells Jocelyn and Rhea that the Flaming Dildos got a gig at the Mab. They... (full context)

...dog collars and safety pins on, and when they return the band is setting up. Bennie shakes Lou’s hand, and tells him it’s an honor to meet him. (full context)

...she feels betrayed by this. Inside, everyone is shook up from the show. Lou brings Bennie up to his recording studio, and Rhea tags along. She notices how Bennie continues to... (full context)

...playing a gold guitar and Alice is behind him with her arms around his neck. Bennie is still in the recording studio, playing music over the house’s sound system. As Rhea... (full context)

...tells her parents that she is with Lou. Scotty and Alice have begun dating, and Bennie no longer hangs out with Scotty. Rhea notes that it is like Bennie and Scotty... (full context)

...is in a hospital bed with tubes up his nose. He has had two strokes. Bennie has contacted all of the old friends though the internet and asked them to visit... (full context)

...of his ex-wife. Scotty reads an issue of SPIN magazine, and sees an article about Bennie Salazar. The two have fallen out of touch. After this a week passes, during which... (full context)

Five days later, a letter arrives in Scotty’s dented mailbox. It is from Bennie, and it says he still thinks of the days when they played in a band... (full context)

...puts on khaki pants and a jacket that he obsessively dry-cleans, and goes to visit Bennie. Scotty notes that the woman who works at the dry cleaners gets frustrated with him... (full context)

The décor in Bennie’s office impresses Scotty. He puts his fish on the reception desk, and asks the receptionist... (full context)

...puts the fish, which is wrapped in newspaper, on it. He tells her that if Bennie doesn’t hurry up the fish will begin to stink. Eventually, Bennie comes out. Scotty observes... (full context)

Scotty finds Bennie’s office awesome. The entire city seems laid out beyond his office window. He notes that... (full context)

Scotty is offended that Bennie thinks he came for a handout. Scotty says he wants to know what happened between... (full context)

Scotty goes to the window and closes his eyes. He can sense Bennie’s fear. Bennie asks Scotty if he is still playing music, and if he is married.... (full context)

...conquer the world, but the people who need this view don’t have it. He wishes Bennie health and happiness, and smiles widely, revealing his broken teeth. Bennie looks shocked, and this... (full context)

...says her boyfriend is an awesome musician. Scotty says he believes them. He gives them Bennie’s card, telling them Bennie is his friend and they should call. They thank him and... (full context)

Bennie and Stephanie have moved with their son Christopher to a wealthy community called Crandale. At... (full context)

Bennie’s family joins the Crandale Country Club. In the locker room, a woman named Kathy says... (full context)

Three weeks later, Stephanie and Bennie are invited to a party after a neighbor discovers that Bennie signed his favorite band,... (full context)

At the neighbor’s cocktail party, Stephanie talks with Kathy, who introduces Stephanie and Bennie to her husband, Clay. Clay wears seersucker shorts and a pink oxford shirt, which Stephanie... (full context)

As time passes, Bennie begins to sense that people in the community do not trust him. During the family’s... (full context)

Bennie begins giving Stephanie a hard time about playing tennis with Crandale women, whom he calls... (full context)

Stephanie begins scheduling her tennis games later in the day so Bennie won’t see her in her tennis outfit. This is easy to do since Stephanie has... (full context)

One morning, Bennie asks if Stephanie is driving to the city for work. She has begun leaving her... (full context)

...meeting with Bosco. She wonders if this is some kind of punishment for lying to Bennie. As they drive on the expressway, Jules asks if she is having an affair. Stephanie... (full context)

Jules admits it may just be Crandale that is making Stephanie and Bennie seem different. The place is packed with Republicans, and Jules can’t believe Stephanie and Bennie... (full context)

...everything is ending. She misses the wild drug and sex filled days before she and Bennie were married, when they were young, lucky, and strong. She feels disturbed by Bosco’s obsession... (full context)

...and she feels grateful for the affection. She has a burning desire to talk to Bennie about her day. She speaks to Sasha, Bennie’s assistant, whom she used to mistrust, but... (full context)

When Bennie arrives home, he goes straight into the shower. Stephanie decides to get into the shower... (full context)

...understand why this instance of infidelity is more painful than the others, but it is. Bennie calls from the kitchen as she staggers into a flowerbed. Stephanie kneels in the dirt... (full context)

...is not mad, but bored. She was invited to a party with the Conduit’s producer, Bennie Salazar, but she doesn’t want to take Rob and Drew because they are high. Rob... (full context)

This story is set in the near future. Alex meets with Bennie to talk about a job promoting a concert. Their children play on the floor between... (full context)

...which revolves around social media marketing. The job he wanted was running a mixing board. Bennie’s daughter, Ava, takes a plastic pot away from Alex’s daughter, Cara-Ann. Alex gets up to... (full context)

Bennie understands that Alex wants to work with sound, but the problem with the industry is... (full context)

When Alex’s daughter bites Bennie’s daughter’s shoulder, the women rush into the room. Alex reveals that he met Bennie through... (full context)

Bennie closes his eyes as he listens to Scotty’s album. He believes his sound is pure.... (full context)

...about that afternoon, when he’d tried—and failed—to tell Rebecca what he’d agreed to do for Bennie. His job is to find people, who are pejoratively called “parrots,” to spread the word... (full context)

...people who score high in two criteria, score low in the third. He realizes that Bennie had recruited him, though he is not sure exactly why it worked, since Alex considers... (full context)

Alex meets with Lulu, who is Bennie’s assistant. They are working together on the social media marketing campaign for Scotty’s concert. Lulu... (full context)

Alex learns that Lulu has known Bennie since she was a child because her mother, Dolly, was a friend with Bennie’s ex-wife,... (full context)

...the library where she was studying, planning to finally tell her about his job with Bennie. They are hurrying to get to the river before sunset, which has been pushed back... (full context)

...sex. Just then, Alex gets a text from Lulu, asking if he has heard that Bennie moved Scotty’s concert outdoors. This means that Alex will have to do more outreach so... (full context)

...had brought it up, saying it might be a chance for Alex to reconnect with Bennie. He writhes at the fact that he still hasn’t told her about the job. (full context)

...leaves Rebecca and Cara-Ann in the crowd after receiving a text message from Lulu that Bennie needs help. Alex goes to Scotty’s trailer, and finds Bennie and an old roadie inside.... (full context)

Bennie takes a long breath and reminds Scotty about the time he came to his office... (full context)

...a sexy and rakish version of Scotty shine through. After they walk toward the stage, Bennie says Lulu will run the world some day. On stage, Scotty begins to play children... (full context)

As Alex watches with Bennie, he wishes he were with Rebecca and Cara-Ann. He locates Rebecca with his handset, but... (full context)

After the concert, Bennie is elated, and says that this kind of event only happens once in a person’s... (full context)

They turn a corner, and Bennie says that Sasha’s apartment was right there. Alex feels a flash of recognition and a... (full context)

Bennie and Alex begin walking again and Alex says he doesn’t know what has happened to... (full context)

Bennie Salazar Character Analysis

Bennie Salazar Quotes in A Visit from the Goon Squad

Chapter 2 Quotes

Chapter 6 Quotes

Chapter 7 Quotes

Bennie Salazar Character Timeline in A Visit from the Goon Squad