american literature

Critical study of J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" with discussion of the work's influence, historical context, and critical reception.

Literary criticism of Twain's greatest work.

A collection of nine critical essays on Hemingway's novel "A Farewell to Arms" arranged in chronological order of publication.

A collection of seven critical essays on Hawthorne's novel, arranged in chronological order of original publication.

Provides readers with an overview of literary works that explore the theme of the American dream. Analyzes poetry, plays, short stories, novels, and works of nonfiction that address this theme in some capacity, and how that theme has been treated in literature at different times in history and across diverse cultures.

A literary tour de force about the making of a film and representation from a master of the memoir form. For Nick Flynn, that game we all play?the who-would-play-you-in-the-movie-of-your-life game?has been resolved. The Reenactments chronicles the surreal experience of being on set during the making of the film Being Flynn, from his best-selling memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, and watching the central events of his life reenacted: his father's long run of homelessness and his mother's suicide. Flynn tells the story of Robert De Niro's first meeting with his real father in Boston and of watching Julianne Moore attempt to throw herself into the sea. The result is a mesmerizingly sharp-edged and kaleidoscopic literary tour de force as well as a compelling argument about consciousness, representation, and grief.

Alphabetically arranged entries profile sixty-two contemporary gay American poets and dramatists, providing a brief biography, discussion of major works and themes, and an overview of the author's critical reception for each entry.

Provides brief biographical information on eleven Native American women writers and discusses their work through critical excerpts. Includes a bibliography of works written by each featured author.

Analyzes the use of biblical allusions in American literature and film, describing how parallels can be drawn between fictional works and the Bible, and presents examples from C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," Warner Brothers' "The Matrix," and William Golding's "Lord of the Flies.".