free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY CONTEXT American Post-Modernist Novels www.ebook777.com i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY CONTEXT American Post-Modernist Novels SALEM PRESS A Division of EBSCO Information Services, Inc Ipswich, Massachusetts GREY HOUSE PUBLISHING www.ebook777.com i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Copyright © 2013, by Salem Press, A Division of EBSCO Information Services, Inc All rights reserved No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner For permissions requests, contact proprietarypublishing@ebsco.com For information contact, Grey House Publishing/Salem Press, 4919 Route 22, PO Box 56, Amenia, NY 12501 The paper used in this volume conforms to the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, Z39.48–1992 (R1997) Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication Data (Prepared by The Donohue Group, Inc.) Introduction to literary context American post-modernist novels / [edited by Salem Press].—[1st ed.] p : ill ; cm Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN: 978-1-61925-210-3 Postmodernism (Literature)—United States American fiction—20th century—History and criticism I Salem Press (Salem, Mass.) II Title: American post-modernist novels PS374.P64 I58 2013 813/.509113 First Printing PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com CONTENTS Publisher’s Note �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������vii About This Volume��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ix Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood�����������������������������������������������������������������������������1 The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon�������������������������11 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume �����������������������������������������21 The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver�������������������������������������������������������������������29 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������37 Beloved by Toni Morrison ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������45 The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison ���������������������������������������������������������������������������53 Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler�����������������������������������������������������������������������������61 Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.�������������������������������������������������������������������������73 Different Seasons by Stephen King�������������������������������������������������������������������������79 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick �������������������������������������85 The Female Man by Joanna Russ�����������������������������������������������������������������������������95 Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk�����������������������������������������������������������������������������105 Franny and Zooey by J D Salinger�����������������������������������������������������������������������113 Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen���������������������������������������������������������������������121 The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood���������������������������������������������������������127 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros �������������������������������������������������133 Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson �����������������������������������������������������������������139 How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez�����������������������������������149 The Ice Storm by Rick Moody �������������������������������������������������������������������������������159 Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr �����������������������������������������������������������������������������167 Libra by Don DeLillo ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������177 The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman�����������������������������������������������������185 Moon Palace by Paul Auster ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������191 Neuromancer by William Gibson �������������������������������������������������������������������������199 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry�����������������������������������������������������������������������������209 Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth�����������������������������������������������������������������������217 Rabbit, Run by John Updike ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������225 The Red Tent by Anita Diamant �������������������������������������������������������������������������237 Sula by Toni Morrison �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������243 Tar Baby by Toni Morrison �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������251 Underworld by Don DeLillo�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������263 The View From Saturday by E L Konigsburg�������������������������������������������������������273 v www.ebook777.com i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com vi | Contents Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech ���������������������������������������������������������������������281 White Noise by Don DeLillo�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������287 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle���������������������������������������������������������������297 Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates �������������������������������������������������������������������������������305 Bibliography ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������313 Index�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������319 i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com PUBLISHER’S NOTE With this volume, Salem Press launches a new series—Introduction to Literary Context This series is designed to introduce students to the world’s greatest works of literature—including novels, short fictions, novellas, and poems – not only placing them in the historical, societal, scientific and religious context of their time, but illuminating key concepts and vocabulary that students are likely to encounter A great starting point from which to embark on further research, Introduction to Literary Context is a perfect foundation for Critical Insights, Salem’s acclaimed series of critical analysis written to deepen the basic understanding of literature via close reading and original criticism Both series – Introduction to Literary Context and Critical Insights – cover authors, works and themes that are addressed in core reading lists at the undergraduate level Introduction to Literary Context: Post- Modernist American Novels is the first in the series Other volumes will cover American Short Fiction, Poetry, British Fiction and World Fiction Organization and Format The essays in Post-Modernist American Novels appear alphabetical by title of the work Each is 6–8 pages in length and includes the following sections: • Content Synopsis – summarizes the plot of the novel, describing the main points and prominent characters in concise language • Historical Context – describes the relevance to the story of the moods, attitudes and conditions that existed during the time period that the novel took place • Societal Context – describes the role that society played within the novel, from the acceptance of traditional gender roles to cell phone etiquette • Religious Context – explains how religion— of the author specifically, or a group generally, influenced the novel • Scientific & Technological Context – analyzes to what extent scientific and/or technological progress has affected the story • Biographical Context – offers biographical details of the author’s life, which often helps students to make sense of the story • Discussion Questions – a list of 8–10 thoughtful questions that are designed to develop stimulating and productive classroom discussions • Essay Ideas – a valuable list of ideas that will encourage students to explore themes, writing techniques, and character traits • Works Cited • For Further Study Scope and Coverage Post-Modernist American Novels covers 37 novels written by American and Canadian authors, and published between 1960 and 2000 The list of authors is diverse – including male, female, African Americans, Latin Americans and Native Americans – and their stories are based on real life experiences and struggles, as individuals, as groups, and as countrymen Not many happy endings here But who better than the likes of John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Toni Morrison, Barbara Kingslover, Margaret Atwood, Don DeLillo, and Anita Diamant to tell stories of vulnerable characters in non-traditional roles, living lives that are difficult and challenging? This volume is postmodern literature at its best Introduction to Literary Context: American Post-Modernist Novels ends with a general Bibliography and subject Index vii www.ebook777.com i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 14/10/13 9:09 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com About This Volume The Post-Modernist movement in literature gripped America as solidly as it did Europe following the conclusion of World War II That event influenced writers and artists in a similar manner as the generation before them was altered emotionally by the experience of World War I To acquire a more exact understanding of the Post-Modernists, readers must first look at the writers and artists who laid the groundwork for that movement The earlier generation—the Moderns—was weaned on the art of their fathers and grandfathers who were steeped in the trappings of the 19th century World War I proved the great game changer Both the direct combatants, like notable authors including Ernest Hemingway in America and Erich Maria Remarque in Europe, and those with second-hand exposure understood that the world that sired them was a casualty of the trenches and that a darker, more cynical society was emerging This mood was reflected directly in their art Unlike 19th-century works such as Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, the soldiers in Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms and Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front rejected the concept of war as a glorious introduction to manhood and saw it as a carnival of death and destruction These Modernists protagonists don’t flee the battlefield in fear, they abandon it in rejection of the politics and antiquated ideals that fueled it These characters realize that war isn’t jeweled swords, plumed helmets, and brass-band parades; it’s severed limbs, rivers of blood, hunger, and dysentery Post-modernists came of age with this history embedded in their collective psyche only to have these ideas reinforced fully through their own experiences in World War II, culminating in the finality of the atomic devastation unleashed on Japan While a hallmark of the art produced following World War I was a rejection of the graying concepts of straight lines and happy endings, the Post-Modernist artists advanced to the next level where stories didn’t necessarily have an ending at all The writers whose works are represented in this collection provide prime examples of the overriding sense of delusion, rejection and empty spiritualism that permeated American novels beginning in the 1950s This collection sports essays on 37 of the notable Post-Modernist novels published since roughly 1960 by many of the most important male and female American writers of the latter 20th century Each essay provides a detailed plot synopsis of the work and identifies the main characters and their roles in the story The essays additionally evaluate each novel in the context of what the assorted elements the author presents mean to the story and the world at large These include: • Symbols & Motifs: What symbols does the author employing to define the characters’ true selves and the lives they lead? In order to truly fathom the author’s intent, readers must be aware of what’s happening beyond the mere action of the plot • Historical Context: How does the action of the novel reflect the time in which it was written and the time in which it takes place? How members of the generations included in the story compare and contrast to those of other generations? Also, how does an author use flashbacks to compare one time period with another or to show character development? • Societal Context: An integral feature of PostModernism is the deterioration of societal norms, particularly marriage and family Other standard community conventions that buttressed previous generations also are lacking in these works ix www.ebook777.com i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 15/10/13 2:52 AM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com x | About This Volume • Religious Context: Along with marriage and family, religion takes a pummeling in PostModern fiction Each essay discusses the role of religion in the story • Scientific and Technological Context: The works covered in these essays were written when technology was changing everyday life on a previously unprecedented level Everything from kitchen gadgets and hair gel to television is evaluated • Biographical Context: Each essay includes a biographical section on the author’s life and work • Discussion Questions/Essay Ideas: Each essay is capped with a series of thoughtful questions designed to generate discussion and deepen a reader’s understanding of the book, as well as presents subjects for possible essays concerning the work that would benefit students John Updike was one of the early progenitors of the Post-Modernist American novel Born in Reading, PA, in 1932, Updike is one of only three American authors awarded the Pulitzer Prize multiple times (he received a total of three) Updike displayed writing talent at a young age (his mother was an unsuccessful novelist) and received a full scholarship to Harvard University where he edited the Harvard Lampoon Although he is considered one of the finest literary writers of the latter half of the 20th-century, humor is a hallmark of his writing Following Harvard, Updike worked at The New Yorker where he produced numerous short stories while garnering national attention with 1960’s Rabbit, Run, the novel that introduced readers to Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, who, ultimately, appeared in four books Rabbit is the epitome of the all-American small-town boy: a former high school basketball star who is married; the father of one child and with another on the way; a young man with a budding career On the surface, Rabbit may seem the personification of the 1950s i-xii_Novels_FM.indd 10 American dream, but, in truth, his life is a roiling cauldron of turmoil He married only because he impregnated Janice, his equally unhappy wife who is free-falling into alcoholism in her 20s He despises being squeezed into a small apartment with Janice and their son, and his job as a kitchengadget salesman is a dead end The book opens with Rabbit intently watching boys play basketball, the game that brought him glory in his youth before he was shackled to the responsibilities of marriage and parenthood If given the choice, it seems clear that Rabbit undoubtedly would return to that time and shuck the yoke of his adult life for the irresponsibility and freedom of childhood Ultimately, he does exactly that: he abandons his pregnant wife and son but returns to his family when Janice gives birth to a baby girl Their reconciliation, however, is a failure, and Rabbit continues to implode while Janice becomes so lost in a haze of alcohol that she allows their infant daughter to drown in the bathtub Updike and J D Salinger, another Post-modernist covered in this collection, are among a number of writers presenting characters who suffer from a type of Peter Pan syndrome that renders them incapable of functioning as adults Unlike the war-ravaged protagonists of Moderns Hemingway and Remarque, Angstrom and many of Salinger’s characters aren’t tortured by their experiences in combat For them, adulthood is the battlefield upon which they are destined to lose an emotional limb for which there is no prosthetics Rabbit embraces the standard adult responsibilities: marriage, parenthood, a career, but, ultimately, is unable to fulfill those duties The members of Salinger’s Glass family featured in the novel Franny & Zooey included in this collection and in the short story volume Nine Stories are of a similar ilk None of the Glass siblings seem capable of functioning as adults Seymour Glass, the eldest brother, takes his own life, and readers easily can imagine suicide in the future obituary of Holden Caulfield, 15/10/13 2:52 AM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 314 | Bibliography Chalmers, Robert “Chuck Palahniuk: Stranger than Fiction” The Independent, 01 August 2004 Cisneros, Sandra “Do You Know Me?: I Wrote The House on Mango Street.” Americas Review 15 (Spring 1987): 69–73 _ “Ghosts and Voices: Writing from Obsession.” Americas Review 15 (1987): 60–73 _ The House on Mango Street 1984 New York: Vintage, 1991 _ The House on Mango Street 1984 New York: Knopf, 1999 _ “Introduction.” The House on Mango Street 1999 xi–xx Clarke, Deborah “Domesticating the Car: Women’s Road Trips.” Studies in American Fiction (2004) 32.1: 101–29 Cooper, Alan Philip Roth and the Jews Albany, State University of New York Press, 1996 Cortiel, Jeanne Demand My Writing: Joanna Russ/ Feminism/Science Fiction Liverpool: Liverpool UP, 1999 _ “Joanna Russ.” Significant Contemporary American Feminists: A Biographical Sourcebook Ed Jennifer Scanlon Westport, Conn and London: Greenwood, 1999 Creech, Sharon Walk Two Moons New York: Harper Trophy, 1994 Cushman, Karen Author’s Note The Midwife’s Apprentice New York: HarperCollins, 1995 118–22 _ The Midwife’s Apprentice New York: HarperCollins, 1995 _ “Newbery Medal Acceptance.” Horn Book Mag azine 72.4 (1996): 413–420 Davis, Tom “J D Salinger: ‘The Sound of One Hand Clapping.’” Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Fiction 4.1 (Winter 1963) 41–47 De Beauvoir, Simone The Second Sex (1949) DeCurtis, Anthony “‘An Outsider in This Society’: An Interview with Don DeLillo.” Introducing Don DeLillo Ed Frank Lentricchia Durham: Duke University Press, 1991 43–66 De Lange, Nicholas An Introduction to Judaism Cambridge UP, 2000 DeLillo Don Libra 1988 New York: Penguin, 1991 _ Mao II London: Vintage, 1992 _ Underworld London: Picador, 1998 _ White Noise London: Picador, 1986 313-318_Bibliography.indd 314 DeMarr, Mary Jean Barbara Kingsolver: A Critical Companion Westport, Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press, 1999 Dewey, Joseph “Rick Moody.” Review of Contem porary Fiction 23.2 (2003), 7–49 Dickens, Charles David Copperfield New York: Signet Classic, 1962 Dick, Philip K Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 1968 New York: Ballantine, 1982 Dorloff, Steven “Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle.” The Expli cator 63.1 (2004): 56–57 Drabble, Margaret, ed The Oxford Companion to English Literature 6th ed Oxford: OUP, 2000 Drabelle, Dennis “Weird Fantasies and Amazing Adventures.” Civilization 4:6 (1997/1998) Academic Search Premier Grand Valley State University Zumberge Lib Jan 2005 Duffin, Jacalyn “Margaret Atwood: Alias Grace.” Lit erature, Arts, and Medicine Database 17 November 2003 New York University 23 November 2005 Duvall, John Don DeLillo’s Underworld: A Reader’s Guide New York and London: Continuum Publishing, 2002 Enns, Anthony “Media, Drugs, and Schizophrenia in the Works of Philip K Dick.” Science Fiction Studies 33.1 (March 2006): 68–88 Ferraro, Thomas J “Whole Families Shopping at Night.” Ed Frank Lentricchia Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991 15–38 Francavilla, Joseph “The Android as Doppelgänger.” Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Ed Judith B Kerman Bowling Green: Bowling Green State U Popular P, 1997 4–15 Freitag, Michael “The Novelist Out of Control.” New York Times, 19 March 1989 French, Warren J D Salinger, Revisited Boston, Twayne, 1988 Friedan, Betty The Feminine Mystique New York: Norton, 1963 Frye, Bob J “Nuggets of Truth in the Southwest: Artful Humor and Realistic Craft in Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees.” Southwestern American Literature (spring 2001) 26.2: 73–83 Gibson, William “An Interview with William Gibson.” By Larry McCaffery Storming the Reality Studio: 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Bibliography | 315 A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Science Fiction Ed Larry McCaffery Durham: Duke UP, 1991 263–85 _ Neuromancer New York: Ace, 1984 _ “Since 1948.” Source Code Nov 2002 23 Feb 2006 Gies, Frances and Joseph Gies Life in a Medieval Village New York: Harper & Row, 1990 Gilbert, Sandra M and Susan Gubar The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the NineteenthCentury Literary Imagination New Haven: Yale UP, 1979 _ No Man’s Land: The Place of the Woman Writer in the Twentieth Century New Haven: Yale UP, 1994 Gómez-Vega, Ibis “Hating the Self in the ‘Other’ or How Yolanda Learns to See Her Own Kind in Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost Their Accents.” Intertexts 3, no (1999): 85–96 Greer, Germaine The Female Eunuch (1970) Greven, Hélène Margaret Atwood The Handmaid’s Tale, Paris: Didier-Erudition/ CNED, 1999 Gross, Barry “Seduction of the Innocent: Portnoy’s Complaint and Popular Culture,” MELUS, Vol. 8, No 4, “The Ethnic American Dream” (Winter, 1981), pp 81–92 Gurganus, Allan “How you introduce Paul Auster in three minutes?” The Review of Contemporary Fiction 14.1 (Spr 1994): 7–8 Hacker, Marilyn “Science Fiction and Feminism” The Work of Joanna Russ Chrysalis (1977): 67–79 Hall, Alice Petry “Tyler and Feminism.” Anne Tyler as Novelist Ed Dale Salwak Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1994 33–42 Hamilton, Ian In Search of J D Salinger New York: Random, 1988 Haraway, Donna “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century.” Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinven tion of Nature New York: Routledge, 1991 149–81 Hart, Christine World War II: 1939–1945 New York: Franklin Watts, 2000 Hassan, Ihab “Almost the Voice of Silence: The Later Novelettes of J D Salinger.” Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Fiction 4.1 (Winter 1963) 5–20 Hendershot, Judith and Jackie Peck “Interview with Newbery Medal Winner Karen Cushman.” The Reading Teacher 50.3 (1996): 198–200 Hicks, Heather “Automating Feminism: The Case of Joanna Russ’s ‘The Female Man.’” Postmodern Culture: An Electronic Journal of Interdisciplinary Criticism 9.3 (1999) Hill Rigney, Barbara Margaret Atwood, Women Writers Series New Jersey: Barnes & Noble, 1987 Hoffman, Joan M “‘She Wants to Be Called Yolanda Now’: Identity, Language, and the Third Sister in ‘How the García Girls Lost Their Accents’.” Bilin gual Review 23, no (1998): 21–27 Holt, Marilyn J “Joanna Russ.” Science Fiction Writ ers: Critical Studies of the Major Authors from, the early Nineteenth Century to the Present Day Ed E F Bleiler New York: Scribner’s, 1982 483–90 Huber, Chris The Vonnegut Web 14 April 2008 Huf, Linda A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman: The Writer as Heroine in American Literature New York: Ungar, 1983 Irving, John “Morrison’s Black Fable.” New York Times March 29 1981 Iwamoto, Iwao “A Visit to Mr Updike.” Plath 115–24 Jameson, Fredric Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia and Other Science Fictions, London: Verso, 2005 Johnson, Charles S and Horace M Bond “The Investigation of Racial Differences Prior to 1910.” The Journal of Negro Education 3.3 (1934): 328– 339 Johnson, Greg “A Brief Biography.” Celestial Time piece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page, 1996 August 2008 Kalfus, Ken “The Golem Knows.” New York Times 24 Sept 2000 Kaysen, Susanna Girl, Interrupted New York: Vintage Books, 1993 Kimmel, Michael New York: Free, 1996 Kingsolver, Barbara The Bean Trees New York: Harper & Row, 1988 King, Stephen Different Seasons New York: Signet, 1982 King, Tabitha “Biography.” StephenKing.com 12 January 2008 Klinkowitz, Jerome and John Somer (eds.) The Vonnegut Statement St Albans, Granada Publishing, 1975 Knelman, Judith “Can We Believe What the Newspapers Tell Us? Missing Links in Alias Grace.” Univer sity of Toronto Quarterly 68.2 (1999): 677–687 www.ebook777.com 313-318_Bibliography.indd 315 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 316 | Bibliography Konigsburg, E L “Educational Paperback Association.” 17 Dec 2005 _ The View from Saturday New York: Aladdin, 1996 LeClair, Tom “An Interview with Don DeLillo.” Any thing Can Happen: Interview with Contemporary American Novelists Ed Tom LeClair and Larry McCaffery Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983 79–90 _ “An Interview with Toni Morrison.” Anything Can Happen: Interviews with Contemporary Ameri can Novelists Ed Tom LeClair and Larry McCaffery Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1983 252–61 _ “Rootedness: The Ancestor as Foundation.” Black Women Writers (1950–1980): A Critical Evaluation Ed Mari Evans New York: Anchor, 1984 339–45 Lefanu, Sarah In the Chinks of the World Machine: Feminism and Science Fiction London: Women’s Press, 1988 L’Engle Madeline A Wrinkle in Time New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1062 Lentricchia, Frank “Introduction.” New Essays on White Noise Ed Frank Lentricchia Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991 1–14 _ “Libra as Postmodern Critique.” Introducing Don DeLillo Ed Lentricchia Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1991 193–215 Lowry, Lois Major Authors and Illustrators for Chil dren and Young Adults 2nd ed vols Gale Group, 2002 Reproduced in Biography Resource Center Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale 2005 _ “Afterword.” Number the Stars Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989 _ Number the Stars Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989 _ “Number the Stars: Lois Lowry’s journey to the Newbery Award.” The Reading Teacher 44.2 (1990): 98–101 Marouby, Christian Utopie et primitivisme Essai sur l’imaginaire anthropologique l’âge classique, Paris: Seuil, 1990 Marvin, Thomas F Kurt Vonnegut: A Critical Compan ion Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press, 2002 Maycock, Ellen C “The Bicultural Construction of Self in Cisneros, Alvarez, and Santiago.” Bilingual Review 23, no.3 (1998): 223–229 May, John R ‘Vonnegut’s Humor and the Limits of Hope,’ Twentieth Century Literature, Vol 18, No (Jan., 1972), pp 25–36, Hofstra University 313-318_Bibliography.indd 316 Maynard, Joyce At Home in the World: A Memoir New York: Picador, 1998 McKee, Gabriel Pink Beams of Light from the God in the Gutter: The Science-Fictional Religion of Philip K Dick Dallas: UP of America, 2004 McPherson, Pat Reflecting on The Bell Jar New York: Routledge, 1991 Medford, Edna Greene “Imagined Promises, Bitter Realities: African Americans and the Meaning of the Emancipation Proclamation.” The Emancipation Proclamation Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2006 1–47 Michael, Magali Cornier “Rethinking History as Patchwork: The Case of Atwood’s Alias Grace.” MFS: Modern Fiction Studies 47.2 (summer 2001): 421–47 Millard, Kenneth Contemporary American Fiction Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000 Miller, Ryan “The Gospel According to Grace: Gnostic Heresy as Narrative Strategy in Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace.” Literature and Theology 16.2 (June 2002): 172–87 Milowitz, Steven Philip Roth Considered: The Con centrationary Universe of the American Writer New York, Garland Publishing Inc, 2000 Mitchell, David T “The Accent of ‘Loss’: Cultural Crossings as Contexts in Julia Alvarez’s ‘How the García Girls Lost Their Accents.’” Beyond the Binary: Reconstructing Cultural Identity in a Multicultural Context Ed Timothy B Powell New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1999 165–84 Moody, Rick The Black Veil: A Memoir With Digres sions Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2002 _ “The Creature Lurches from the Lagoon.” The Ice Storm Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2002 281–292 Moran, Joe “Don DeLillo and the Myth of the AuthorRecluse.” Journal of American Studies 34.1 (2000): 137–52 Morrison, Toni Beloved New York: Penguin, 1987 _ “Rootedness: The Ancestor as Foundation.” Black Women Writers: _ Sula 1973 London: Picador, 1991 _ Tar Baby 1981, London: Virago, 1997 _ The Bluest Eye London: Picador, 1990 Murphy, Larry G “African-American Faith in America.” Faith in America Series New York: Facts on File, 2003 Murrey, Loretta Martin “The Loner and the Matriarchal Community in Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Bibliography | 317 and Pigs in Heaven.” Southern Studies (1994) 5.1-2: 155–64 Nilsen, Don L F “Humorous Contemporary JewishAmerican Authors: An Overview of the Criticism,” MELUS, Vol 21, No 4, “Ethnic Humor” (Winter, 1996), pp 71–101 Nunley, Jan “Thoughts of Faith Infuse Updike’s Novels.” Plath 248–60 Oakes, James Slavery and Freedom: An Interpretation of the Old South New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1990 Oates, Joyce Carol “Psycho Killer.” NYTimes.com, Oct 29, 1995 11 August 2008 Osteen, Mark American Magic and Dread: Don DeLillo’s Dialogue with Culture Penn Studies in Contemporary Amer Fiction Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 2000 _ “Introduction.” White Noise: Text and Criticism Ed Frank Lentricchia New York: Penguin, 1998 vii–xv Palahniuk, Chuck Fight Club London: Vintage, 1997 Passaro, Vince “Dangerous Don DeLillo.” New York Times Magazine 19 May 1991: 36–8, 76–77 Perry, Donna “Joanna Russ.” Backtalk: Women Writers Speak Out Ed Donna Perry New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1993 287–311 Pierce, Hazel Philip K Dick Washington: Starmont, 1982 Pioch, Nicolas “Munch, Edvard.” Webmuseum, Paris 16 July 2002 28 February 2006 Plath, James, Ed “Conversations with John Updike.” Literary Conversations Series Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1994 Plath, Sylvia The Bell Jar New York: Bantam, 1981 (1963) Podhoretz, John “Escapists.” Commentary June 2001 Rapatzikou, Tatiani G Gothic Motifs in the Fiction of William Gibson Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2004 Reilly, Charlie “A Conversation with John Updike.” Plath 124–51 Rhode, Eric “John Updike Talks About the Shapes and Subjects of His Fiction.” Plath 46–55 Risher, Dee Dee “Listening to the Story: A conversation with Madeline L’Engle” 12 Oct 2005 Robinson, Beverly J “Faith Is the Key and Prayer Unlocks the Door: Prayer in African American Life.” The Journal of American Folklore 110.438 (1997): 408–414 Robinson, Marilynne The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought 1998 New York: Picador, 2005 _ Housekeeping 1980 London: Faber, 1981 Rose, Jacqueline The Haunting of Sylvia Plath London: Virago, 1991 Roth, Philip Portnoy’s Complaint London, Vintage, 1995 _ The Facts, London, Jonathan Cape, 1989 Russ, Joanna The Female Man New York: Bantam, 1975 _ To Write Like a Woman: Essays in Feminism and Science Fiction “Intr Sarah Lefanu.” Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1995 Ryan, Maureen “Barbara Kingsolver’s Lowfat Fiction.” Journal of American Culture (winter 1995) 18.4: 77–83 Sabbagh, Antoine “The Human Story.” Europe in the Middle Ages Trans Anthea Riddett Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Silver Burdett P, 1988 Salinger, Margaret Ann Dream Catcher New York: Washington Square P, 2000 Samuels, Charles Thomas “The Art of Fiction XLIII: John Updike.” Plath 22–45 Schwartz, Murray M and Christopher Bollas “The Absence at the Centre: Sylvia Plath and Suicide.” Sylvia Plath: New Views on the Poetry, ed Gary Lane Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1979 179–292 Shippey, T S Cat’s Cradle “Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition.” MagillOnLiterature Plus EBSCO 25 Aug 2005 Siddall, Gillian “‘This Is What I Told Dr Jordan…’: Public Constructions and Private Disruptions in Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace.” Essays on Canadian Writing 81 (winter 2004): 84–102 Siivonen, Timo “Cyborgs and Generic Oxymorons: The Body and Technology in William Gibson’s Cyberspace Trilogy.” Science-Fiction Studies 23.2 (July 1996): 227–44 Singman, Jeffrey L and Will McLean Daily Life in Chaucer’s England Westport, CN: Greenwood P, 1995 Sirias, Silvio Julia Alvarez: A Critical Companion Westport, Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press, 2001 Snodgrass, Mary Ellen Barbara Kingsolver: A Literary Companion Jefferson, North Carolina and London: McFarland & Company, 2004 Sutton, Rosemary The Red Shoes: Margaret Atwood Starting Out Toronto: HarperCollins, 1998 Tanner, Tony “Afterthoughts on Don DeLillo’s ‘Underworld’.” Raritan 17.4 (1998): 48–71 Tate, Claudia Black Women Writers at Work New York: Continuum, 1984 www.ebook777.com 313-318_Bibliography.indd 317 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 318 | Bibliography Tennant, Colette Reading the Gothic in Margaret Atwood’s Novels Lewiston, New York: 2003 Teslenko, Tatiana Feminist Utopian Novels of the 1970s: Joanna Russ and Dorothy Bryant New York and London: Routledge, 2003 Tiernan, Mary Lee Karen Cushman, The Midwife’s Apprentice “Rev of ‘The Midwife’s Apprentice’ by Karen Cushman.” Book Report 14.2 (1995): 36 Tyler, Anne Breathing Lessons 1988 London: Vintage, 1992 _ “Marriage and the Ties that Bind.” Washington Post World Book 15 Feb 1987 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum “The Hol ocaust.” Holocaust Encyclopedia 25 October 2007 _ Washington D. C 12 January 2008 Unrue, John C J D Salinger: A Study of the Short Fiction Detroit: Gale, 2002 Updike, John “In Response to a request from The Independent on Sunday of London, for a contribution to their weekly feature “A Book That Changed Me.” Odd Jobs: Essays and Criticism London: Deutsch, 1991 843–4 _ Rabbit, Run 1960 London: Penguin, 1995 _ “Loosened Roots.” Anne Tyler as Novelist Ed Dale Salwak Iowa: University of Iowa Press, 1994 120–4 Uphaus, Robert W ‘Expected Meaning in Vonnegut’s Dead-End Fiction,’ NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction, Vol 8, No (Winter, 1975), pp 164–174, Brown University Viorst, Judith “Nominating Statement for E L Konigsburg.” 17 Dec 2005 Vonnegut Jr., Kurt, Cat’s Cradle Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1973 _ Cat’s Cradle Bantam Doubleday Dell: New York, 1963 313-318_Bibliography.indd 318 _ Jailbird London, Vintage, 1992 Wade, Stephen The Imagination in Transit: The Fiction of Philip Roth Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press, 1996 Wagner-Martin, Linda, ed Critical Essays on Sylvia Plath Boston: G K Hall, 1984 _ The Bell Jar: a Novel of the Fifties New York: Twayne, 1992 Wallace, Molly “‘Venerated Emblems’: DeLillo’s Underworld and the History-Commodity.” Critique 42.4 (2001): 367–83 Warrick, Patricia S “The Labyrinthine Process of the Artificial: Philip K Dick’s Androids and Mechanical Constructs.” Philip K Dick Ed Martin Harry Greenberg and Joseph D Olander New York: Taplinger, 1983 189–214 Weisenburger, Steven “Inside Moon Palace.” The Review of Contemporary Fiction 14.1 (Spr 1994): 70–9 Weiss, Jerry M “Selected Stories of Stephen King.” Teacher Vision 12 January 2008 Wenke, John J D Salinger: A Study of the Short Fiction Boston: Twayne, 1991 Will, George “Shallow Look at the Mind of an Assassin.” Washington Post, 22 Sept 1988: A25 Williams, Frank J “‘Doing Less’ and ‘Doing More’: The President and the Proclamation—Legally, Militarily, and Politically.” The Emancipation Proc lamation Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2006 48–82 Wilson, Sharon Rose, ed Margaret Atwood’s Textual Assassinations: Recent Poetry and Fiction Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 2003 Wyatt, C S The Existential Primer 30 October 2005 28 February 2006 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Index abortion, 67 academia, 291–292 acculturation, 153 adolescent sexuality, 159–160 African American community, 47–48, 246–247 African American folk tales, 256 African Americans Civil Rights Movement and, 58, 246–247, 269 racism experienced by, 47, 57, 58, 67, 135, 154, 246–247, 258 soldiers, 247 stereotypes of, 163 afterlife, 82 Agent Orange, 270 Alias Grace (Atwood), 1–9 biographical context of, 6–7 historical context of, 3–4 religious context of, 5–6 scientific and technological context of, societal context of, 4–5 synopsis, 1–3 alienation, 89, 91, 107, 202, 248, 309 Alien Registration Act, 74 Allen, Woody, 221 Allyn, David, 24 Alvarez, Julia biographical information on, 156 How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, 149–158 The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Chabon), 11–20 biographical context of, 17–18 historical context of, 13–15 religious context of, 15–16 scientific and technological context of, 16 societal context of, 15 synopsis, 11–13 American culture, 108, 180, 181, 229, 259, 268, 290, 291, 292 American Psycho (Ellis), 107 American road, 65–66 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 275 anarchy, 109 animal imagery, 33–34, 88 anti-science theme, 109 anti-Semitism, 211 anti-technology motif, 284 “Apt Pupil” (King), 79–80, 81, 82 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (Blume), 21–28 biographical context of, 26–27 gender in, 24–25 historical context of, 24–25 religious context of, 25–26 scientific and technological context of, 26 societal context of, 25 synopsis, 21–24 artificial intelligence (AI), 200, 203, 204–205 assimilation, 153 astrology, 181 atomic bomb, 74, 89, 267, 270 Atwood, Margaret Alias Grace, 1–9 biographical information, 6–7 biographical information on, 130–131 The Edible Woman, 6, 131 The Handmaid’s Tale, 127–132 The Penelopiad, 6–7 Auster, Paul biographical information on, 195–196 Moon Palace, 191–197 The New York Trilogy, 195 authenticity, 256, 290, 291 automobiles, 31, 33, 59, 68, 228–229, 284 baptism, 259 Barth, Karl, 231 Bartkowski, Frances, 97–98 baseball, 267, 269, 270 Baudrillard, Jean, 181, 288 Bay of Pigs, 177 The Bean Trees (Kingsolver), 29–36 biographical context of, 34–35 historical context of, 30 religious context of, 32–33 scientific and technological context of, 33–34 societal context of, 30–32 synopsis, 29–30 beauty, 291 male gaze and, 134 racial, 58 Beauvoir, Simone de, 98 The Bell Jar (Plath), 37–43 biographical context of, 41 historical context of, 39 religious context of, 40 scientific and technological context of, 40–41 societal context of, 39–40 synopsis, 37–39 Beloved (Morrison), 45–51, 59, 249 biographical context of, 40 historical context of, 47 religious context of, 48 scientific and technological context of, 48–49 societal context of, 47–48 synopsis, 45–47 Berlin Wall, 203 Bernstein, Carl, 161 Bhopal disaster, 291, 293 Bible, 82, 145, 240, 270, 301 biculturalism, 154 bildungsroman, 194 biology, 277 birth control, 25, 41, 162, 221 bisexuality, 17 black churches, 48 blackness, 54, 56, 243, 258 Black Panthers, 162 The Black Veil (Moody), 164 319 www.ebook777.com 319-328_Index.indd 319 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 320 | Index The Bluest Eye (Morrison), 53–60, 248 biographical context of, 59 historical context of, 57–58 motifs in, 56–57 religious context of, 58–59 scientific and technological context of, 59 societal context of, 57, 162–163 symbolism in, 56–57 synopsis, 53–56 Blume, Judy Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, 21–28 biographical information on, 26–27 censorship of, 27 Blunt, Otis, 82 “The Body” (King), 80, 81, 82 borderline personality disorder (BPD), 123 Bradbury, Ray, 97 Braid, James, Brave New World (Huxley), 98, 128 Breathing Lessons (Tyler), 61–71 biographical context of, 68–69 content synopsis, 61–65 historical context of, 66–67 motifs in, 65–66 religious context of, 68 scientific and technological context of, 68 societal context of, 67–68 symbolism in, 65–66 “The Breathing Method” (King), 80–81, 82 Br’er Rabbit stories, 256 Bruce, Lenny, 221, 267 Buddhism, 117–118 Calvinism, 144 Cambodia, 162 capitalism, 98, 287, 290, 291, 292 Capote, Truman, 267 Caramelo (Cisneros), 136 Carla (How the García Girls Lost Their Accents), 146–147 cars See automobiles 319-328_Index.indd 320 Carson, Rachel, 74 Castells, Ricardo, 153 The Catcher in the Rye (Salinger), 116, 118–119 Catherine, Called Birdy (Cushman), 188 Catholicism, 26, 40, 135, 154–155, 231–232, 259, 269–270 Cat’s Cradle (Vonnegut), 73–78 biographical context of, 76 historical context of, 74–75 religious context of, 75 scientific and technological context of, 75 societal context of, 75 synopsis, 73–74 celebrity, 91 censorship of Blume’s work, 27 obscenity trials and, 221 Cerletti, Ugo, 40 Chabon, Michael The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, 11–20 biographical information on, 17–18 The Final Solution, 17 The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, 17 Summerland, 17 Wonder Boys, 17 Charles, Ray, 123 Cherokee, 30, 32 Chicago World’s Fair, 193–194, 195 childbirth, 188, 239 childcare, 31 children of divorce, 275, 291 in medieval times, 187, 188 Christ See Jesus Christ Christianity, 26, 32, 48, 58, 90, 129, 202, 204, 232–233, 269, 292, 301–302 Christian X (king), 209, 211 Cisneros, Sandra biographical information on, 135–136 Caramelo, 136 The House on Mango Street, 133–138 Woman Hollering Creek, 136 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), 58 Civil Rights Movement, 58, 246–247, 269 Civil War, 47 Clarke, Deborah, 31 class consciousness, 31, 67, 156, 230 class ideology, 258–259 Cleland, John, 221 cloning, 205 clothes, 245 Cold War, 37, 39, 74, 89, 116, 203, 263, 264, 266, 267, 268, 270 colonialism, 257 color symbolism, 56–57, 245, 257 Columbian Exposition, 193–194, 195 comic books, 14–18 commitment, 283 communication, 276–277 modes of, 26 technology, 91, 118 Communism See also Cold War fall of, 203 fear of, 39, 74, 153, 268 spread of, 116 community, 275 African American, 47–48, 246–247 marginalized, 259 religion and, 32 compassion, 90 computer technology, 203, 204–205 condoms, 271 consciousness, 205 consumerism, 108, 180, 181, 229, 259, 268–269, 287, 290, 292 consumer mentality, 90 contraception, 25, 41, 162, 221 Coover, Robert, 181 corporations, 172, 203–204 corruption, 75, 180–181 Cortiel, Jeanne, 98–99, 102 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Index | 321 Creech, Sharon biographical information on, 284–285 Walk Two Moons, 281–286 Cuba Bay of Pigs, 177 Cuban Missile Crisis, 266, 267 cultural heritage, 251, 257–258, 283 cultural hostility, 134–135 cultural relativism, 292 cultural studies, 291–292 culture American, 108, 180, 181, 229, 259, 268, 290, 291, 292 consumer, 108, 180, 181, 229, 259, 268–269, 287, 290, 292 hippie, 162 mass, 287, 288 Native American, 283 popular, 162, 229, 230, 288 Cushman, Karen, 185–190 biographical information on, 188 Catherine, Called Birdy, 188 cyberpunk novels, 202, 203 cyberspace, 203 cyborgs, 101, 202, 205 cynicism, 161–162, 173 Davis, Angela, 162 D-Day, 82, 118 death, 81, 82, 88, 229, 284, 289–290, 294 The Death of Adam (Robinson), 144 Debs, Eugene V., 174 dehumanization, 90, 211 De Lange, Nicholas, 212 DeLillo, Don biographical information on, 181–182, 271, 294 as conspiracy theorist, 268 Libra, 177–183 Mao II, 270, 291 The Names, 291 Underworld, 263–272 White Noise, 287–296 Denmark, 211, 213 depression, 38–39, 40, 123 determinism, 135 devil, 185, 187–188, 248 Dewey, Joseph, 164 Diamant, Anita biographical information on, 240–241 The Red Tent, 237–242 Dick, Philip K biographical information on, 91–92 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?, 85–93 Different Seasons (King), 79–84 biographical context of, 83 historical context of, 81–82 motifs in, 81 religious context of, 82 societal context of, 82 symbolism in, 81 synopsis, 79–81 disconnectedness, 202, 275 disembodiment, 202 disguise, 307 disillusionment, 38, 118 dislocation, 133 Ditko, Steve, 14 divorce, 25, 67, 275, 291 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? (Dick), 85–93 biographical context of, 91–92 historical context of, 89 religious context of, 90 scientific and technological context of, 90–91 societal context of, 90 symbolism and motifs in, 88–89 synopsis, 85–88 doctors, domestic idealism, 66, 229–230 domestic roles, 38–40, 134, 144, 229–230, 240 Dominican Republic, 152–156 Doxey, William, 75 Dresden, 76, 174 Dupard, Bobby, 179 Duvall, John, 263, 269 dystopian fiction, 97, 98, 99, 127–132 Echevarría, Roberto Gonzalez, 153 The Edible Woman (Atwood), 6, 131 Edison, Thomas Alva, 194, 195 education, 276 Eggers, Dave, 18 Eisenhower, Dwight, 229 Eisner, Will, 14, 15 electronic media, 270 electroshock therapy, 37, 39, 40, 121, 123 Ellis, Brett Easton, 107 Emancipation Proclamation, 47 empathy, 85, 86, 87, 90 emptiness, 117 Enns, Anthony, 91 environmental issues, 31–32, 74, 270 escapism, 17, 18, 228–229 Espinosa, Jose, 82 ethics, 75 ethnicity, 34, 134, 276 ethnic minorities, 57, 134–135 ethnocentrism, 74, 134–135 Eucharist, 117 eugenics, 128 evangelical religion, 68, 269, 292 evil, 130, 302 existentialism, 89, 231 expiation, 144 eyes, 202 faith, 25–26, 32–33, 232, 270, 277, 292, 302 false piety, 145 families alternative, 275, 287 changing structure of, 291 fragmentation of, 164 impact of divorce on, 275, 291 in medieval times, 187 nuclear, 25, 291 relationships within, 75, 300 traditional, 67, 144, 162–163, 230 Fanny Hill (Cleland), 221 fate, 68, 135 father figure, 107, 108, 302 www.ebook777.com 319-328_Index.indd 321 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 322 | Index female characters, in Gothic novels, The Female Eunuch (Greer), 98 The Female Man (Russ), 95–104 biographical context of, 101–102 historical context of, 97–98 narrative perspective in, 97 religious context of, 100 scientific & technological context of, 100–101 societal context of, 98–100 synopsis, 95–97 female servants, 4–5 female sexuality, 24–25, 82, 99, 154, 162 The Feminine Mystique (Friedan), 24, 39, 98 femininity, 203 feminism, 24, 39, 68, 98–99, 102, 128, 229, 247, 269 feminist utopias, 98 Ferraro, Thomas, 291 fidelity, 283 Fifteenth Amendment, 47 fifties ideology, 66, 229 Fight Club (Palahniuk), 105–112 biographical context of, 109 historical context of, 107–108 religious context of, 108 scientific and technological context of, 109 societal context of, 108 synopsis, 105–107 The Final Solution (Chabon), 17 fire symbolism, 143 Five Civilized Tribes, 30 flashbacks, 66 Ford, Henry, 58 foreshadowing, 6, 32, 37, 231 Fourteenth Amendment, 47 “Franny” (Salinger), 113–114, 117 Franny and Zooey (Salinger), 113–120 biographical context of, 118–119 historical context of, 116–117 religious context of, 117–118 319-328_Index.indd 322 scientific and technological context of, 118 societal context of, 117 synopsis, 113–116 freedom limited, 122 water as symbol of, 143 for women, 31 Friedan, Betty, 24, 39, 98 Fugitive Slave Act, 47 fundamentalism, 129 Garner, Margaret, 49, 59 gender, 144 in Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, 24–25 ideology, 247, 259 issues, 67–68 norms, 153–154 roles, 31, 38–41, 66, 68, 95–97, 99, 100, 162–163, 229–230, 269, 301 Genesis, 240 genetic engineering, 205 Germany Nazi, 74, 81–82, 173, 209–213, 291, 292 post-WWI, 210–211, 212 ghosts, 2, 5, 45–47, 96, 116, 117, 142, 144, 145 Gibson, William biographical information on, 205–206 Neuromancer, 199–207 Gilead (Robinson), 144 Girl, Interrupted (Kaysen), 121–125 biographical context of, 123–124 historical context of, 123 religious context of, 123 scientific and technological context of, 123 societal context of, 123 symbolism and motifs in, 122 synopsis, 121–122 Glaspell, Susan, global village, 91 Gobineau, Arthur de, 48–49 God, 21–22, 24–26, 75, 92, 114, 248, 284, 301, 302, 309 as father figure, 108 images of, 58 personal relationship with, 26 Golding, William, 128 Golem, 15–16 Gothic novels, 6, Gould, Chester, 16 government corruption, 180–181 Great Depression, 58, 59, 229 Greene, Robert, 205 Greer, Germaine, 98 Greven, Hélène, 128, 130 Guatemala, 30, 31 Guenebault, J H., 48 The Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood), 127–132 biographical context of, 130–131 historical context of, 128 psychological context of, 129–130 religious context of, 129 scientific and technological context of, 130 societal context of, 128 synopsis, 127–128 Hapgood, Powers, 172, 174 Haraway, Donna, 101 heritage, 251, 257–258, 283 Hill, Fanny, 25 hippie culture, 162 Hiroshima, 74, 89 Hiss, Alger, 74 history, 67, 73, 193–194, 247, 267, 291 Hitler, Adolf, 210–211, 213, 291, 292 Hodges, Russ, 267 Holocaust, 81–82, 211, 213, 221, 222, 291 homosexuality, 11–12, 14, 15, 309 Hoover, J Edgar, 263, 268 hope, 81, 134 House Committee on Un-American Activities, 39, 116, 172, 173 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Index | 323 Housekeeping (Robinson), 139–148 biographical context of, 145–146 historical context of, 143–144 religious context of, 144–145 scientific and technological context of, 145 societal context of, 144 symbolism and motifs in, 143 synopsis, 139–143 The House on Mango Street (Cisneros), 133–138 biographical context of, 135–136 historical context of, 135 religious context of, 135 scientific and technological context of, 135 societal context of, 134–135 symbolism and motifs in, 133–134 synopsis, 133 How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (Alvarez), 149–158 biographical context of, 156 historical context of, 152–153 religious context of, 154–155 scientific and technological context of, 155–156 societal context of, 153–154 synopsis, 149–152 Hughes, Ted, 41 human cloning, 205 humanity, 122, 202, 205 human nature, 75, 88 Huxley, Aldous, 98, 128 hybridization, 276 hyperreality, 270, 288, 291 hypnotism, The Ice Storm (Moody), 159–166 biographical context of, 164–165 historical context of, 161–162 religious context of, 163 scientific and technological context of, 163–164 synopsis, 159–161 idealism, 66 identity, 99, 129, 147, 212, 251 illegitimacy, 67 imagery animal, 33–34, 88 maternal, 246, 256 military, 257 nature, 33–34, 257 religious, 143, 144–145 immigrant acculturation, 153 immortality, 90 “In Country” (Mason), 31 independence, 301 inequality, racial, 57 infidelity, 159, 160, 162 information overload, 290, 292 withholding of, 276–277 information technology, 204–205 innocence, loss of, 270 insular societies, 129–130 intelligence, 300 interconnectedness, 300 Internet, 204 Iran-Contra scandal, 180 Israel, 221, 222 Jailbird (Vonnegut), 167–175 biographical context of, 174 historical context of, 172 religious context of, 173 scientific and technological context of, 173–174 societal context of, 172–173 synopsis, 167–172 Japan, 203 Jesus Christ, 26, 58–59, 90, 115–118, 129, 231, 232, 302 Jews, 15, 16, 17, 81–82, 209–213 Jim Crow laws, 246 Johnson, Virginia, 25 journeys, 31, 65–66, 80 Judaism, 15–16, 26, 211–212, 221–222 juvenile delinquency, 13, 14 Kabala, 15–16 Kakutani, Michiko, 191 Kalfus, Ken, 16 Kaysen, Susanna biographical information on, 123–124 Girl, Interrupted, 121–125 Kennedy assassination, 177–181, 182, 267, 268 key parties, 160, 162 Kierkegaard, Soren, 231 King, Martin Luther, Jr., 247 King, Stephen biographical information on, 83 Different Seasons, 79–84 Kingsolver, Barbara The Bean Trees, 29–36 biographical information on, 34–35 Pigs in Heaven, 34 The Poisonwood Bible, 34 Kinsey, Alfred C., 25, 221 kinship, 194 Kirby, Jack, 14, 15 Konigsburg, E.L biographical information on, 277–278 The View from Saturday, 273–279 Korean War, 116, 172 Ku Klux Klan, 58 Lady Chatterley’s Lover (Lawrence), 221 language, 99, 156 incantatory power of, 16 power of, 16, 128 Latin America, 30, 153–154 Lawrence, D H., 221 LeClair, Tom, 271, 294 Lefanu, Sarah, 102 LeGuin, Ursula, 98 L’Engle, Madeline biographical information on, 302–303 A Wrinkle in Time, 297–304 Lentricchia, Frank, 180 Libra (DeLillo), 177–183 biographical context of, 181–182 www.ebook777.com 319-328_Index.indd 323 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 324 | Index historical context of, 180–181 religious context of, 181 scientific and technological context of, 181 societal context of, 181 synopsis, 177–180 literature, 75 loneliness, 133, 162 Lord of the Flies (Golding), 128 loss, 139 love, 67, 75 Lowell, Robert, 123 Lowry, Lois biographical information on, 213 Number the Stars, 209–216 machine intelligence, 205 male gaze, 134 male power, 33, 153–154 male role models, 107, 108 male sexuality, 25 Malthe-Bruun, Kim, 213 “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes” (Cisnero), 133 Mao II (DeLillo), 270, 291 Marcus, Stephen, 310 Marouby, Christian, 129 marriage, 31, 39, 66, 134, 240 Marshall, Richard, 16 The Martian Chronicles (Bradbury), 97 masculinity, 203 Mason, Bobbie Ann, 31 mass culture, 287, 288 mass media, 118, 268, 270, 288, 293 Masters, William, 25 masturbation, 217, 219 materialism, 135, 181, 268 See also consumerism maternal imagery, 246, 256 matrix, 202–203 Maynard, Joyce, 119 McCarthy, Joseph, 39, 74, 116, 172 McCarthyism, 74, 116, 153, 172 McLean Hospital, 121–122, 123 McLuhan, Marshall, 91 “meat,” body as, 202 media theory, 91 319-328_Index.indd 324 medicine, religion and, Medieval England, 186–188 mental illness, 90, 121–122, 123 mercy, 89 mesmerism, Middle Ages, 186–188 middle class, 24, 153, 159, 162–163, 229, 230, 233, 291 Middle Road, 284 midwifery, 188 The Midwife’s Apprentice (Cushman), 185–190 biographical context of, 188 historical context of, 186–187 religious context of, 187–188 scientific and technological context of, 188 societal context of, 187 synopsis, 185–186 migration, 26 military imagery, 257 Miller, Henry, 221 mind-body split, 202 mirrorshades, 202 mobility, 26, 31, 228–229 modernity, 107 Mohrenschildt, George de, 179 Molina, Trujillo, 152–153 “Monkey Garden” (Cisneros), 133 Moodie, Susanna, Moody, Rick, 159–166 biographical information on, 164–165 The Black Veil, 164 Moon Palace (Auster), 191–197 biographical context of, 195–196 historical context of, 193–194 religious context of, 194 scientific and technological context of, 194–195 societal context of, 194 synopsis, 191–193 morality, 75, 277 moral relativism, 292 Morrison, Toni Beloved, 45–51, 59, 249 biographical information on, 49, 59, 248–249, 260 The Bluest Eye, 53–60, 248 Song of Solomon, 59, 248–249 Sula, 59, 243–250 Tar Baby, 59, 249, 251–262 mortality, 68, 81 Mother Country (Robinson), 146 motherhood, 39, 239 single, 31 motifs animal, 88 anti-technology, 284 childbirth, 239 journey, 31, 65–66, 80 mortality, 81 motherhood, 239 of the past, 66 Mount Rushmore, 283 multiculturalism, 275–276 Munch, Edvard, 89 Murphy, Larry, 48 music religion and, 26, 163 romantic love and, 67 Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), 267 The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (Chabon), 17 mysticism, 15–16, 284 myth, 284 names, 88–89, 129, 245–246 The Names (DeLillo), 291 narcissism, 15 Nash, John, 123 national identity, 212 National Organization for Women (NOW), 24 Native Americans, 30, 281–283 natural sciences, 277 nature, vs technology, 259–260 nature imagery, 33–34, 257 Nazism, 74, 81–82, 173, 209–213, 291, 292 Neary, John, 26 Neuromancer (Gibson), 199–207 biographical context of, 205–206 historical context of, 203 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Index | 325 religious context of, 204 scientific and technological context of, 204–205 societal context of, 203–204 symbolism and motifs in, 202–203 synopsis, 199–202 New Deal, 58 The New York Trilogy (Auster), 195 Nineteen Eighty-Four (Orwell), 98, 128 Nixon, Richard, 161, 168, 172, 267 normality, 117, 118 nuclear family, 25, 291 nuclear war, 85, 89, 90, 267, 270 Number the Stars (Lowry), 209–216 biographical context of, 213 historical context of, 210–211 religious context of, 211–212 scientific and technological context of, 212–213 societal context of, 211 synopsis, 209–210 Oates, Joyce Carol biographical information on, 310 Zombie, 305–312 obscenity trials, 221 omens, 245 oppression, 39, 134–135 Orientalism, 276 Orwell, George, 98, 128 Osteen, Mark, 181 Oswald, Lee Harvey, 177–181, 182 Other, 154 otherness, 229 outsourcing, 75 Palahniuk, Chuck biographical information on, 109 Fight Club, 105–112 paranoia, 268, 271, 293 parenthood, 230 past dangers of the, 247 letting go of, 66 memories of the, 117 pull of the, 66 pataphysics, 89 paternal decline, 194 patriarchal society, patriarchy, 98–99, 128, 129, 153–154 The Penelopiad (Atwood), 6–7 personal memoir, 173 persons with disabilities, 275 perspective, 306–307 “Peter Rabbit” (Potter), 228 pharmaceuticals, 164, 293–294 Piercy, Marge, 98 Pigs in Heaven (Kingsolver), 34 plant imagery, 33 Plath, Sylvia, 123 The Bell Jar, 37–43 biographical information on, 41 Playboy magazine, 24–25 Podhoretz, John, 16 The Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver), 34 political correctness, 275–276 political refugees, 30, 152–153 polygamy, 240 popular culture, 163, 229, 230, 288 pornography, 25 Portney’s Complaint (Roth), 217–224 biographical context of, 222 historical context of, 221 religious context of, 221–222 scientific and technological context of, 222 societal context of, 221 synopsis, 217–221 postmodernism, 67 post-traumatic stress disorder, 116, 117 post-war society, 221 Potter, Beatrix, 228 power, corruption and, 75 doctors and, of freedom, 31 hidden sources of, of language, 16, 128 male, 33, 153–154 pre-millennial angst, 107, 108 presentiments, 245 print media, 91 progress, 101 propaganda, 91 psychiatric treatment, 38–41, 118, 121–122 psychoanalysis, 118, 217, 222 pulp writing, 17, 18 Puritanism, 128 Pynchon, Thomas, 181 Rabbit, Run (Updike), 225–236 biographical context of, 233 historical context of, 229 religious context of, 231–233 scientific and technological context of, 233 societal context of, 229–230 symbolism and motifs in, 228–229 synopsis, 225–228 race, 34 race relations, 269 racial beauty, 58 racial conflict, 258–259 racial stereotypes, 163 racial theories, 48–49 racism, 47, 57, 58, 67, 135, 154, 246–247, 258 radiation, 293, 308 railroads, 145 rape, 34, 38 Rastafarianism, 204 rationality, 66 Reagan era, 30, 203 reality, 300 “Red Clowns” (Cisneros), 133 redemption, 6, 81, 145 The Red Tent (Diamant), 237–242 biographical context of, 240–241 historical context of, 240 religious context of, 240 societal context of, 240 www.ebook777.com 319-328_Index.indd 325 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 326 | Index symbolism and motifs in, 239 synopsis, 237–239 red tent symbolism, 239 refugees, 30, 152–153 religion, 22, 25–26 absence of, 181, 292 black churches, 48 Buddhism, 117–118 Calvinism, 144 Catholicism, 26, 40, 135, 154– 155, 231–232, 259, 269–270 Christianity, 26, 32, 48, 58, 90, 129, 202, 204, 232–233, 269, 292, 301–302 community and, 32 devil and, 187–188, 248 evangelical, 68, 269, 292 faith and, 32–33, 232, 270, 277, 292 as form of tyranny, 58–59 fundamentalism, 129 interpretations of, 248 Judaism, 15–16, 26, 211–212, 221–222 lapse of, 40 medicine and, music and, 26, 163 organized, 292 popular culture and, 163 Puritanism, 128 Rastafarianism, 204 role of, in modern life, 75, 108, 173, 231 science and, 75, 277 sexuality and, 154 sin and, 58, 75, 145 slave, 48 televangelism, 91 voodoo, 155 western theology, 58–59, 247–248 religious dogma, 145 religious imagery, 143–145 repetition, 66 revisionism, 283 “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” (King), 79, 81, 82 rite of passage, 81 319-328_Index.indd 326 river symbolism, 239 road metaphor, 228–229 road narratives, 31, 33–34 Roberts, Margaret, 291 Robertson, Pat, 40 Robinson, Marilynne biographical information on, 145–146 The Death of Adam, 144 Gilead, 144 Housekeeping, 139–148 Mother Country, 146 Rochman, Hazel, 283 romantic love, 67 Roosevelt, Franklin, 58 Rosenbergs, Julius and Ethel, 37, 39, 74 Roth, Philip biographical information on, 222 Portney’s Complaint, 217–224 Russ, Joanna biographical information on, 101–102 The Female Man, 95–104 Sacco and Vinzetti trial, 172, 173 Salinger, J D., 37 biographical information on, 118–119 The Catcher in the Rye, 116, 118–119 Franny and Zooey, 113–120 salvation, 145 Sandra (How the García Girls Lost Their Accents), 147, 154 scapegoats, 88 schizophrenia, 90, 121 science, 75, 101, 118, 195, 270, 277, 293, 302, 309–310 science fiction, 89, 90, 97, 98, 99, 100, 130, 173 “The Scream” (Munch), 89 seasons, 81 The Second Sex (Beauvoir), 98 second-wave feminism, 269 secularism, 40, 292 Seduction of the Innocent (Wertham), 13, 14 segregation, 246, 247, 269 self-determination, 134, 144 self-doubt, 40 self-help books, 163 self-perception, 202 self-realization, 256 sexism, 96, 154, 259 sex symbols, 82 Sexton, Anne, 123 sexuality, 26–27, 99, 217–221 adolescent, 159–160 female, 24–25, 82, 99, 154, 162 male, 25 violence and, 306, 308 sexual orientation, 15, 17, 309 sexual revolution, 24, 25, 162, 221 shell shock, 116 silence, 276–277 Silent Spring (Carson), 74 simulacra, 181 sin, 6, 58, 75, 145 single motherhood, 31 Slaughterhouse Five (Vonnegut), 76 slave religions, 48 slavery, 47, 49, 154, 257 social conventions, 67, 68, 144 social mobility, 57, 58, 135 social oppression, 134–135 social outcasts, 300–301 societal decline, 194 Sofia (How the García Girls Lost Their Accents), 147–148, 153 Song of Solomon (Morrison), 59, 248–249 soul-body disconnect, 202 Soviet Union, 267 speculative fiction, 97–98, 99, 127, 128 spies, 74 spiritualism, 4, spirituality, 5–6, 117 sports metaphors, 228 stigma, of mental illness, 123 subjective viewpoint, 306–307 suburbia, 25, 38, 162, 229 suicide, 38–39, 41, 117, 121, 140 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com Index | 327 Sula (Morrison), 59, 243–250 biographical context of, 248–249 historical context of, 247 religious context of, 247–248 scientific and technological context of, 248 societal context of, 246–247 symbolism and motifs in, 245–246 synopsis, 243–245 Summerland (Chabon), 17 “Summer of Love,” 162 superhero comics, 14, 16, 18 supermarkets, 291, 292–293 supernatural, 15 superstition, 181 symbolism animal, 88 automobiles, 33, 228–229 of the bell jar, 40 colors, 56–57, 245, 257 fire, 143 mirrorshades, 202 names, 88–89, 129, 245–246 red tent, 239 river, 239 tar baby, 256 water, 143 wigs, 66 Tanner, Tony, 263, 268 tar baby, 256 Tar Baby (Morrison), 59, 249, 251–262 biographical context of, 260 historical context of, 257–258 religious context of, 259 scientific and technological context of, 259–260 societal context of, 258–259 symbolism and motifs in, 256–257 synopsis, 251–256 Taylor, James, 123 technological advancements, 68, 75, 100–101, 155–156, 163–164, 233, 292–294 teleology, 66–67 telephone, 26, 118 televangelism, 91 television, 86, 91, 118, 164, 180, 181, 230, 288, 291, 293 Teller, Edward, 270 Tesla, Nikolai, 194, 195 Teslenko, Tatiana, 99 theology, 58–59, 163, 247–248 Thirteenth Amendment, 47 Thomson, Bobby, 266, 267 Three Mile Island, 293 Tiernan, Mary Lee, 186 time multiple continuums of, 95, 98 non-linear, 247 passage of, 66, 307–308 The Time Machine (Wells), 97 time travel, 95 toads, 88 tolerance, 277 totalitarianism, 128, 129 Towers, Robert, 268 traditional families, 67, 144, 162–163, 230 Trail of Tears, 30 transcendence, 90, 204, 270 transience, 139, 143 transporation, 26, 31, 33 Treaty of Versailles, 210, 212 Tropic of Cancer (Miller), 221 Troyes, Geoffroi de, 186 Turing, Alan, 205 Tyler, Anne biographical information on, 68–69 Breathing Lessons, 61–71 tyranny, religion as form of, 58–59 underclass, 259 underground railroad, 47 Underworld (DeLillo), 263–272 biographical context of, 271 historical context of, 267 religious context of, 269–270 scientific and technological context of, 270–271 societal context of, 268–269 synopsis, 263–267 Union Carbide, 291 Updike, John biographical information on, 233 Rabbit, Run, 225–236 urbanization, 248 utopian fiction, 97–98, 99, 129–130 veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder in, 116, 117 video games, 203 Vietnam War, 123, 162, 193, 247, 267, 270 The View from Saturday (Konigsburg), 273–279 biographical context of, 277–278 historical context of, 275–276 religious context of, 277 scientific and technological context of, 277 societal context of, 276–277 synopsis, 273–275 violence, 107, 306, 308 Viorst, Judith, 277 Vogt, Karl, 48 Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr biographical information on, 76, 174 Cat’s Cradle, 73–78 Jailbird, 167–175 Slaughterhouse Five, 76 voodoo, 155 Wagner-Martin, Linda, 39 Walker, Edwin A., 179 Walk Two Moons (Creech), 281–286 biographical context of, 284–285 historical context of, 283 religious context of, 284 scientific and technological context of, 284 societal context of, 283–284 synopsis, 281–283 Warren Commission, 177 www.ebook777.com 319-328_Index.indd 327 14/10/13 9:10 PM free ebooks ==> www.ebook777.com 328 | Index Watergate, 161–162, 167, 172, 180 water symbolism, 143 weaning, 284 Weisenburger, Steven, 193, 194 Wells, H G., 97 Wertham, Frederic, 13, 14 western theology, 58–59, 247–248 White Noise (DeLillo), 287–296 biographical context of, 294 historical context of, 291 religious context of, 292 scientific and technological context of, 292–294 societal context of, 291–292 synopsis, 287–290 Will, George, 181 Williams, Richard, 268 Wittig, Monique, 98 Woman Hollering Creek (Cisneros), 136 women changing roles for, 269 319-328_Index.indd 328 domestic roles for, 38–40, 134, 144, 229–230, 240 feminism and, 24, 39, 68, 98–99, 102, 128, 229, 247, 269 in medieval times, 187 traditional roles for, 31, 38, 39–40, 41, 95–96, 97, 134, 162–163 in the workforce, 275 women’s empowerment, 31 women’s movement, 39, 96, 128 Wonder Boys (Chabon), 17 Woodward, Bob, 161 World War I, 210, 212, 247 World War II, 74, 76, 81–82, 89, 116, 118, 174, 212–213, 229 A Wrinkle in Time (L’Engle), 297–304 biographical context of, 302– 303 historical context of, 300 religious context of, 301–302 scientific and technological context of, 302 societal context of, 300–301 synopsis, 297–300 Yolanda (How the García Girls Lost Their Accents), 151–152, 153, 154, 156 youth, 108 Zen Buddhism, 117–118 Zombie (Oates), 305–312 biographical context of, 310 historical context of, 308 religious context of, 309 scientific and technological context of, 309–310 societal context of, 308–309 synopsis, 305–306 themes and motifs in, 306–308 “Zooey” (Salinger), 114–116, 117 14/10/13 9:10 PM ... volume is postmodern literature at its best Introduction to Literary Context: American Post- Modernist Novels ends with a general Bibliography and subject Index vii www.ebook777.com i-xii _Novels_ FM.indd... Introduction to Literary Context: American Post- Modernist Novels the book The Author’s Afterword, as well as her lecture, “In Search of ‘Alias Grace,’” elaborates on some of the historical context, ... Introduction to Literary Context: American Post- Modernist Novels For Further Study Knelman, Judith “Can We Believe What the Newspapers Tell Us? Missing Links in Alias Grace.” University of Toronto Quarterly