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National Advisory Board Jennifer Hood: Young Adult/Reference Librarian, Cumberland Public Library, Cumberland, Rhode Island. Certified teacher, Rhode Island. Member of the New England Library Associ- ation, Rhode Island Library Association, and the Rhode Island Educational Media Associa- tion. Christopher Maloney: Head Reference Librarian, Ocean City Free Public Library, Ocean City, New Jersey. Member of the American Library Association and the New Jersey Library As- sociation. Board member of the South Jersey Library Cooperative. Kathleen Preston: Head of Reference, New City Library, New City, New York. Member of the American Library Association. Received B.A. and M.L.S. from University of Albany. Patricia Sarles: Library Media Specialist, Canar- sie High School, Brooklyn, New York. Expert Guide in Biography/Memoir for the website About.com (http://biography.about.com). Au- thor of short stories and book reviews. Re- ceived B.A., M.A. (anthropology), and M.L.S. from Rutgers University. Heidi Stohs: Instructor in Language Arts, grades 10-12, Solomon High School, Solomon, Kansas. Received B.S. from Kansas State University; M.A. from Fort Hays State Uni- versity. Barbara Wencl: Library Media Specialist, Como Park Senior High School, St. Paul, Minnesota. Teacher of secondary social studies and history, St. Paul, Minnesota. Received B.S. and M.Ed. from University of Minnesota; received media certification from University of Wisconsin. Educator and media specialist with over 30 years experi- ence. Novels for Students Copyright Notice Since this page cannot legibly accommodate all copyright notices, the acknowledgments constitute an extension of the copyright notice. While every effort has been made to secure permission to reprint material and to ensure the reliability of the information presented in this publication, Gale Research neither guarantees the accuracy of the data contained herein nor assumes any re- sponsibility for errors, omissions, or discrepancies. Gale accepts no payment for listing; and inclusion in the publication of any organization, agency, institution, publication, service, or indi- vidual does not imply endorsement of the editors or publisher. Errors brought to the attention of the publisher and verified to the satisfaction of the publisher will be corrected in future edi- tions. This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. 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Michael Logusz, Graphic Artist. i v N o v e l s f o r S t u d e n t s Table of Contents Guest Foreword “The Informed Dialogue: Interacting with Literature” by Anne Devereaux Jordan . . . .ix Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi Literary Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvii Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xix Absalom, Absalom! (by William Faulkner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 All the King’s Men (by Robert Penn Warren) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 V o l u m e 1 3 v v i N o v e l s f o r S t u d e n t s Brideshead Revisited (by Evelyn Waugh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 The Death of the Heart (by Elizabeth Bowen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 The Kitchen God’s Wife (by Amy Tan) 99 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 The Member of the Wedding (by Carson McCullers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Moll Flanders (by Daniel Defoe) . . . . . .145 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Nectar in a Sieve (by Kamala Markandaya) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178 The Optimist’s Daughter (by Eudora Welty) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 The Remains of the Day (by Kazuo Ishiguro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Snow Falling on Cedars (by David Guterson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247 Surfacing (by Margaret Atwood) . . . . . . .254 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264 T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s V o l u m e 1 3 v i i The Sweet Hereafter (by Russell Banks) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277 Vanity Fair (by William Thackeray) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .296 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (by L. Frank Baum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310 Plot Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .314 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319 Glossary of Literary Terms . . . . . . . .333 Cumulative Author/Title Index . . . .345 Cumulative Nationality/ Ethnicity Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351 Subject/Theme Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355 T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s The Informed Dialogue: Interacting with Literature When we pick up a book, we usually do so with the anticipation of pleasure. We hope that by entering the time and place of the novel and shar- ing the thoughts and actions of the characters, we will find enjoyment. Unfortunately, this is often not the case; we are disappointed. But we should ask, has the author failed us, or have we failed the au- thor? We establish a dialogue with the author, the book, and with ourselves when we read. Con- sciously and unconsciously, we ask questions: “Why did the author write this book?” “Why did the author choose that time, place, or character?” “How did the author achieve that effect?” “Why did the character act that way?” “Would I act in the same way?” The answers we receive depend upon how much information about literature in general and about that book specifically we ourselves bring to our reading. Young children have limited life and literary experiences. Being young, children frequently do not know how to go about exploring a book, nor sometimes, even know the questions to ask of a book. The books they read help them answer ques- tions, the author often coming right out and telling young readers the things they are learning or are expected to learn. The perennial classic, The Little Engine That Could, tells its readers that, among other things, it is good to help others and brings happiness: ”Hurray, hurray,” cried the funny little clown and all the dolls and toys. “The good little boys and girls in the city will be happy because you helped us, kind, Little Blue Engine.” In picture books, messages are often blatant and simple, the dialogue between the author and reader one-sided. Young children are concerned with the end result of a book—the enjoyment gained, the lesson learned—rather than with how that result was obtained. As we grow older and read further, however, we question more. We come to expect that the world within the book will closely mirror the concerns of our world, and that the au- thor will show these through the events, descrip- tions, and conversations within the story, rather than telling of them. We are now expected to do the interpreting, carry on our share of the dialogue with the book and author, and glean not only the author’s message, but comprehend how that mes- sage and the overall affect of the book were achieved. Sometimes, however, we need help to do these things. Novels for Students provides that help. A novel is made up of many parts interacting to create a coherent whole. In reading a novel, the more obvious features can be easily spotted— theme, characters, plot—but we may overlook the more subtle elements that greatly influence how the novel is perceived by the reader: viewpoint, mood and tone, symbolism, or the use of humor. By fo- cusing on both the obvious and more subtle liter- ary elements within a novel, Novels for Students i x x N o v e l s f o r S t u d e n t s aids readers in both analyzing for message and in determining how and why that message is com- municated. In the discussion on Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (Vol. 2), for example, the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence is dealt with, among other things, as is the importance of Lee’s use of humor which “enlivens a serious plot, adds depth to the characterization, and creates a sense of familiarity and universality.” The reader comes to understand the internal elements of each novel discussed—as well as the external influences that help shape it. “The desire to write greatly,” Harold Bloom of Yale University says, “is the desire to be elsewhere, in a time and place of one’s own, in an originality that must compound with inheritance, with an anx- iety of influence.” A writer seeks to create a unique world within a story, but although it is unique, it is not disconnected from our own world. It speaks to us because of what the writer brings to the writing from our world: how he or she was raised and ed- ucated; his or her likes and dislikes; the events oc- curring in the real world at the time of the writing, and while the author was growing up. When we know what an author has brought to his or her work, we gain a greater insight into both the “originality” (the world of the book), and the things that “com- pound” it. This insight enables us to question that created world and find answers more readily. By informing ourselves, we are able to establish a more effective dialogue with both book and author. Novels for Students, in addition to providing a plot summary and descriptive list of characters— to remind readers of what they have read—also ex- plores the external influences that shaped each book. Each entry includes a discussion of the au- thor’s background, and the historical context in which the novel was written. It is vital to know, for instance, that when Ray Bradbury was writing Fahrenheit 451 (Vol. 1), the threat of Nazi domi- nation had recently ended in Europe, and the Mc- Carthy hearings were taking place in Washington, D.C. This information goes far in answering the question, “Why did he write a story of oppressive government control and book burning?” Similarly, it is important to know that Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, was born and raised in Mon- roeville, Alabama, and that her father was a lawyer. Readers can now see why she chose the south as a setting for her novel—it is the place with which she was most familiar—and start to comprehend her characters and their actions. Novels for Students helps readers find the an- swers they seek when they establish a dialogue with a particular novel. It also aids in the posing of ques- tions by providing the opinions and interpretations of various critics and reviewers, broadening that di- alogue. Some reviewers of To Kill A Mockingbird, for example, “faulted the novel’s climax as melo- dramatic.” This statement leads readers to ask, “Is it, indeed, melodramatic?” “If not, why did some reviewers see it as such?” “If it is, why did Lee choose to make it melodramatic?” “Is melodrama ever justified?” By being spurred to ask these ques- tions, readers not only learn more about the book and its writer, but about the nature of writing itself. The literature included for discussion in Nov- els for Students has been chosen because it has something vital to say to us. Of Mice and Men, Catch-22, The Joy Luck Club, My Antonia, A Sep- arate Peace and the other novels here speak of life and modern sensibility. In addition to their indi- vidual, specific messages of prejudice, power, love or hate, living and dying, however, they and all great literature also share a common intent. They force us to think—about life, literature, and about others, not just about ourselves. They pry us from the narrow confines of our minds and thrust us out- ward to confront the world of books and the larger, real world we all share. Novels for Students helps us in this confrontation by providing the means of enriching our conversation with literature and the world, by creating an informed dialogue, one that brings true pleasure to the personal act of reading. Sources Harold Bloom, The Western Canon, The Books and School of the Ages, Riverhead Books, 1994. Watty Piper, The Little Engine That Could, Platt & Munk, 1930. Anne Devereaux Jordan Senior Editor, TALL (Teaching and Learning Literature) F o r e w o r d Introduction Purpose of the Book The purpose of Novels for Students (NfS) is to provide readers with a guide to understanding, en- joying, and studying novels by giving them easy access to information about the work. Part of Gale’s “For Students” Literature line, NfS is specifically designed to meet the curricular needs of high school and undergraduate college students and their teach- ers, as well as the interests of general readers and researchers considering specific novels. While each volume contains entries on “classic” novels fre- quently studied in classrooms, there are also entries containing hard-to-find information on contempo- rary novels, including works by multicultural, in- ternational, and women novelists. The information covered in each entry includes an introduction to the novel and the novel’s author; a plot summary, to help readers unravel and un- derstand the events in a novel; descriptions of im- portant characters, including explanation of a given character’s role in the novel as well as discussion about that character’s relationship to other charac- ters in the novel; analysis of important themes in the novel; and an explanation of important literary techniques and movements as they are demon- strated in the novel. In addition to this material, which helps the readers analyze the novel itself, students are also provided with important information on the liter- ary and historical background informing each work. This includes a historical context essay, a box comparing the time or place the novel was writ- ten to modern Western culture, a critical overview essay, and excerpts from critical essays on the novel. A unique feature of NfS is a specially com- missioned critical essay on each novel, targeted to- ward the student reader. To further aid the student in studying and en- joying each novel, information on media adapta- tions is provided (if available), as well as reading suggestions for works of fiction and nonfiction on similar themes and topics. Classroom aids include ideas for research papers and lists of critical sources that provide additional material on the novel. Selection Criteria The titles for each volume of NfS were selected by surveying numerous sources on teaching litera- ture and analyzing course curricula for various school districts. Some of the sources surveyed in- cluded: literature anthologies; Reading Lists for College-Bound Students: The Books Most Recom- mended by America’s Top Colleges; textbooks on teaching the novel; a College Board survey of nov- els commonly studied in high schools; a National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) survey of novels commonly studied in high schools; the NCTE’s Teaching Literature in High School: The Novel; and the Young Adult Library Services As- sociation (YALSA) list of best books for young adults of the past twenty-five years. Input was also solicited from our advisory board, as well as educators from various areas. V o l u m e 1 3 x i x i i N o v e l s f o r S t u d e n t s From these discussions, it was determined that each volume should have a mix of “classic” novels (those works commonly taught in literature classes) and contemporary novels for which information is often hard to find. Because of the interest in ex- panding the canon of literature, an emphasis was also placed on including works by international, multicultural, and women novelists. Our advisory board members—educational professionals— helped pare down the list for each volume. If a work was not selected for the present volume, it was of- ten noted as a possibility for a future volume. As always, the editor welcomes suggestions for titles to be included in future volumes. How Each Entry Is Organized Each entry, or chapter, in NfS focuses on one novel. Each entry heading lists the full name of the novel, the author’s name, and the date of the novel’s publication. The following elements are contained in each entry: • Introduction: a brief overview of the novel which provides information about its first appearance, its literary standing, any controversies sur- rounding the work, and major conflicts or themes within the work. • Author Biography: this section includes basic facts about the author’s life, and focuses on events and times in the author’s life that inspired the novel in question. • Plot Summary: a factual description of the ma- jor events in the novel. Lengthy summaries are broken down with subheads. • Characters: an alphabetical listing of major char- acters in the novel. Each character name is fol- lowed by a brief to an extensive description of the character’s role in the novel, as well as dis- cussion of the character’s actions, relationships, and possible motivation. Characters are listed alphabetically by last name. If a character is unnamed—for instance, the nar- rator in Invisible Man—the character is listed as “The Narrator” and alphabetized as “Narrator.” If a character’s first name is the only one given, the name will appear alphabetically by that name. Variant names are also included for each char- acter. Thus, the full name “Jean Louise Finch” would head the listing for the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird, but listed in a separate cross- reference would be the nickname “Scout Finch.” • Themes: a thorough overview of how the major topics, themes, and issues are addressed within the novel. Each theme discussed appears in a separate subhead, and is easily accessed through the boldface entries in the Subject/Theme Index. • Style: this section addresses important style ele- ments of the novel, such as setting, point of view, and narration; important literary devices used, such as imagery, foreshadowing, symbol- ism; and, if applicable, genres to which the work might have belonged, such as Gothicism or Ro- manticism. Literary terms are explained within the entry, but can also be found in the Glossary. • Historical Context: this section outlines the so- cial, political, and cultural climate in which the author lived and the novel was created. This sec- tion may include descriptions of related histor- ical events, pertinent aspects of daily life in the culture, and the artistic and literary sensibilities of the time in which the work was written. If the novel is a historical work, information regard- ing the time in which the novel is set is also in- cluded. Each section is broken down with help- ful subheads. • Critical Overview: this section provides back- ground on the critical reputation of the novel, including bannings or any other public contro- versies surrounding the work. For older works, this section includes a history of how the novel was first received and how perceptions of it may have changed over the years; for more recent novels, direct quotes from early reviews may also be included. • Criticism: an essay commissioned by NfS which specifically deals with the novel and is written specifically for the student audience, as well as excerpts from previously published criticism on the work (if available). • Sources: an alphabetical list of critical material used in compiling the entry, with full biblio- graphical information. • Further Reading: an alphabetical list of other critical sources which may prove useful for the student. It includes full bibliographical infor- mation and a brief annotation. In addition, each entry contains the following highlighted sections, set apart from the main text as sidebars: • Media Adaptations: if available, a list of im- portant film and television adaptations of the I n t r o d u c t i o n V o l u m e 1 3 x i i i novel, including source information. The list also includes stage adaptations, audio record- ings, musical adaptations, etc. • Topics for Further Study: a list of potential study questions or research topics dealing with the novel. This section includes questions re- lated to other disciplines the student may be studying, such as American history, world his- tory, science, math, government, business, ge- ography, economics, psychology, etc. • Compare and Contrast: an “at-a-glance” com- parison of the cultural and historical differences between the author’s time and culture and late twentieth century or early twenty-first century Western culture. This box includes pertinent parallels between the major scientific, political, and cultural movements of the time or place the novel was written, the time or place the novel was set (if a historical work), and modern West- ern culture. Works written after the mid-1970s may not have this box. • What Do I Read Next?: a list of works that might complement the featured novel or serve as a con- trast to it. This includes works by the same au- thor and others, works of fiction and nonfiction, and works from various genres, cultures, and eras. Other Features NfS includes “The Informed Dialogue: Inter- acting with Literature,” a foreword by Anne Dev- ereaux Jordan, Senior Editor for Teaching and Learning Literature (TALL), and a founder of the Children’s Literature Association. This essay pro- vides an enlightening look at how readers interact with literature and how Novels for Students can help teachers show students how to enrich their own reading experiences. A Cumulative Author/Title Index lists the au- thors and titles covered in each volume of the NfS series. A Cumulative Nationality/Ethnicity Index breaks down the authors and titles covered in each volume of the NfS series by nationality and eth- nicity. A Subject/Theme Index, specific to each vol- ume, provides easy reference for users who may be studying a particular subject or theme rather than a single work. Significant subjects from events to broad themes are included, and the entries point- ing to the specific theme discussions in each entry are indicated in boldface. Each entry may include illustrations, including photo of the author, stills from film adaptations (if available), maps, and/or photos of key historical events. Citing Novels for Students When writing papers, students who quote di- rectly from any volume of Novels for Students may use the following general forms. These examples are based on MLA style; teachers may request that students adhere to a different style, so the follow- ing examples may be adapted as needed. When citing text from NfS that is not attrib- uted to a particular author (i.e., the Themes, Style, Historical Context sections, etc.), the following for- mat should be used in the bibliography section: “Night.” Novels for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 234–35. When quoting the specially commissioned es- say from NfS (usually the first piece under the “Criticism” subhead), the following format should be used: Miller, Tyrus. Critical Essay on Winesburg, Ohio. Novels for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 335–39. When quoting a journal or newspaper essay that is reprinted in a volume of NfS, the following form may be used: Malak, Amin. “Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and the Dystopian Tradition.” Canadian Litera- ture No. 112 (Spring, 1987), 9–16; excerpted and reprinted in Novels for Students, Vol. 4, ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski (Detroit: Gale, 1998), pp. 133–36. When quoting material reprinted from a book that appears in a volume of NfS, the following form may be used: Adams, Timothy Dow. “Richard Wright: ‘Wearing the Mask,’” in Telling Lies in Modern American Au- tobiography. University of North Carolina Press, 1990. 69–83; excerpted and reprinted in Novels for Students, Vol. 1, ed. Diane Telgen (Detroit: Gale, 1997), pp. 59–61. We Welcome Your Suggestions The editor of Novels for Students welcomes your comments and ideas. Readers who wish to suggest novels to appear in future volumes, or who have other suggestions, are cordially invited to con- tact the editor. You may contact the editor via e-mail at:

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