Solitary men boys in the city: I, the jury, The catcher in the rye -- Social women: girls in small towns: Peyton place, To kill a mockingbird -- Family business and the American dream: The carpetbaggers, the godfather -- Feminism aloft and adrift: Fear of flying, Looking for Mr. Goodbar -- Appetites and anxieties: the unfathomed, the undead, the under toad: Jaws, Interview with the vampire, The world according to Garp -- Taking care of business -- The Bonfire of the vanities, I'll take Manhattan -- American trauma: Misery, The things they carried, Beloved -- Law and order: Presumed innocent, The silence of the lambs, The firm -- Romance in the age of late capitalism: Rabbit at rest, The bridges of Madison County, Five days in Paris -- Science and superstition: Contact, Jurassic Park, Angels & demons.
Summary:
"Through the perspectives of selected novels from the end of World War II to the end of the 20th century this book examines crucial issues for Americans during those decades. These novels represent the voices of popular conversations, as Americans considered issues of family, class, racism and sexism, feminism, economic ambition, sexual violence, war, law, religion and science"--Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.