Difference between revisions of "John Dos Passos"
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | '''John Roderigo Dos Passos''' (b. January 14, 1896; | + | '''John Roderigo Dos Passos''' (b. January 14, 1896; - d. September 28, 1970)<ref>http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/169718/John-Dos-Passos</ref>) was a novelist best known for his trilogy of socio-historical novels, ''U.S.A.'' (1930-36). he also wrote ''Three Soldiers'' (1921), ''Manhattan Transfer'' (1925), |
| + | ==USA=== | ||
| + | The USA trilogy were written from a leftist perspective and provides a kaleidoscopic portrait of America during the first three decades of the 20th century by capturing the voices of people from many walks of life. He used innovative techniques, such as "Camera Eyes" and "Newsreels" in addition to narratives and mini-biographies of real people, like [[Henry Ford]]. | ||
| − | By 1935 Dos Passos was | + | By 1935 Dos Passos was disillusioned with Socialism and radicalism. He could not abide the [[New Deal]] because it bureaucratized American life and accumulated too much power. He had become a conservative, and his novels -- always political--took the perspective from traditional conservatism, with a hostility toward labor unions and Communism. He read closely in the [[Founding Fathers]] for inspiration. |
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
| + | * Carr, Virginia Spencer. ''John Dos Passos: A Life'' (1984), 624pp | ||
| + | * Kazin, Alfred. "John Dos Passos and His Invention of America," ''Wilson Quarterly'' 1985 9(1): 154-166 | ||
| + | * Levin, Harry. "Revisiting Dos Passos' 'U.S.S'," ''Massachusetts Review'' 1979 20(3): 401-415 | ||
* Pizer, Donald. ''Dos Passos' 'U.S.A.:' A Critical Study'' (1988) | * Pizer, Donald. ''Dos Passos' 'U.S.A.:' A Critical Study'' (1988) | ||
Revision as of 19:23, October 5, 2009
John Roderigo Dos Passos (b. January 14, 1896; - d. September 28, 1970)[1]) was a novelist best known for his trilogy of socio-historical novels, U.S.A. (1930-36). he also wrote Three Soldiers (1921), Manhattan Transfer (1925),
USA=
The USA trilogy were written from a leftist perspective and provides a kaleidoscopic portrait of America during the first three decades of the 20th century by capturing the voices of people from many walks of life. He used innovative techniques, such as "Camera Eyes" and "Newsreels" in addition to narratives and mini-biographies of real people, like Henry Ford.
By 1935 Dos Passos was disillusioned with Socialism and radicalism. He could not abide the New Deal because it bureaucratized American life and accumulated too much power. He had become a conservative, and his novels -- always political--took the perspective from traditional conservatism, with a hostility toward labor unions and Communism. He read closely in the Founding Fathers for inspiration.
Further reading
- Carr, Virginia Spencer. John Dos Passos: A Life (1984), 624pp
- Kazin, Alfred. "John Dos Passos and His Invention of America," Wilson Quarterly 1985 9(1): 154-166
- Levin, Harry. "Revisiting Dos Passos' 'U.S.S'," Massachusetts Review 1979 20(3): 401-415
- Pizer, Donald. Dos Passos' 'U.S.A.:' A Critical Study (1988)