Authoritarianism and Class in American Political Fiction - Elite Pluralism and Political Bosses in Three Post-War Novels

This book analyzes what many critics consider to be the three best examples of modern American political fiction-Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men, Edwin O'Connor's The Last Hurrah, and Billy Lee Brammer's The Gay Place-to address a specific problem in American governance.

List of contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: Class, Elite Pluralism, and Political Bosses
Part I
Chapter 2: Robert Penn Warren and Huey Long’s Louisiana: 1928–32
Chapter 3: A Class Analysis of All the King’s Men
Part II
Chapter 4: Edwin O’Connor and James Michael Curley’s Boston: 1914–50
Chapter 5: A Class Analysis of The Last Hurrah
Part III
Chapter 6: Billie Lee Brammer and Lyndon Johnson’s Texas in the1950s
Chapter 7: A Class Analysis of The Gay Place
Conclusion

About the author

David Smit is Professor Emeritus of English at Kansas State University, where he taught for twenty-nine years and was director of the Expository Writing Program for two five-year terms. His special interests are writing theory, Henry James, modern drama, and post-war American literature and culture, especially the political fiction of the period.

Summary

This book analyzes what many critics consider to be the three best examples of modern American political fiction—Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men, Edwin O’Connor’s The Last Hurrah, and Billy Lee Brammer’s The Gay Place—to address a specific problem in American governance.

Product details

• Authors: David Smit, Smit David
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 29.01.2024
• EAN: 9781032268040
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3226804-0
• No. of pages: 206
• Series: Routledge Research in American Literature and Culture
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Miscellaneous; USA, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / American / General, Literature: history & criticism, United States of America, USA, Political structures: totalitarianism and dictatorship, Social classes, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Social Classes & Economic Disparity, Literature: history and criticism, Political structures: totalitarianism & dictatorship