American Literature 1940's-?

[Nicci]

Hi! I have become increasingly interested in the construction of the American identity from the 40's through the end of WWII (approx). Rod Serling's take on this is outstanding and I was wondering what other authors I should read. George and Orson are a given, but I am looking for some non-mainstream authors and even books dealing with the history, narratives of withdrawal/retreat from the world....things of that sort.

Thank you in advance.
/Nicci:D

[breathtest]

Jack Kerouac has some very good books dealing with his withdrawal from the world. The beginning of Desolation Angels is about his summer as a fire-lookout where he was completely isolated from humanity. Also Dharma Bums deals with his foray into buddhism and retreating into the mountains to meditate and write poetry. Big Sur, probably my favourite, concerns his retreat into a cabin to be alone as he struggles to deal with alcoholism and the implications of fame.

[kelby_lake]

Hi! I have become increasingly interested in the construction of the American identity from the 40's through the end of WWII (approx). Rod Serling's take on this is outstanding and I was wondering what other authors I should read. George and Orson are a given, but I am looking for some non-mainstream authors and even books dealing with the history, narratives of withdrawal/retreat from the world....things of that sort.

Thank you in advance.
/Nicci:D

So 1940 to 1945? That's a pretty small time frame.

You've got the Beat Poets in the fifties, which you might want to look at.

Who are George and Orson?

[Nicci]

George Orwell (obviously British but still constructing identity of that time) and Orson Wells (trying to tie in media).

I wasn't for sure how far to take the time period. If I go too broad then I am encompassing too much literature. Since I am just looking for ideas on what/who to read I am open to suggestions. I do not want to go into the 70's, that I do know(I am even worried about going into the late 60s so maybe up to '64). I want to stick with the WWII era. It's the construction of us and them and the individualism juxtaposed with nationalism that I am thinking about.

Friends have suggested: (some) Hemingway, Pat Frank, Kurt Vonnegut.


Jack Kerouac has some very good books dealing with his withdrawal from the world. The beginning of Desolation Angels is about his summer as a fire-lookout where he was completely isolated from humanity. Also Dharma Bums deals with his foray into buddhism and retreating into the mountains to meditate and write poetry. Big Sur, probably my favourite, concerns his retreat into a cabin to be alone as he struggles to deal with alcoholism and the implications of fame.

Kerouac.....yes, I have thought about him. I guess I need to reread him, if I can. He just, well, he is not one of my favorites. I read one book (on the road) and am not sure exactly why I didn't like it.
Thank you for the suggestions. I will look those up and give him another chance.

[Alexander III]

Yea I agree the beats are a good option, by that I mean Kerouac and Ginsberg, they are the two big ones.

For Kerouac, On The Road aesthetically speaking in one of his lesser works. His greatest are in my opinion Big Sur, Lonesome Traveler and Visions Of Cody. The latter being his best work in my opinion, it is there where he comes closest to Faulkner his literary father so to speck.

[OrphanPip]

I guess someone of French Canadian origin like Kerouac would be a good choice for the construction of an identity, since his pretty much is constructed. He lied compulsively about his ethnic and cultural origins :p.

When I think of 1950s America, Bernard Malamud's The Natural and Miller's Death of a Salesman are what come to mind.

[billl]

In 1960, Donald Hamilton put out the first in his Matt Helm series. They are sort of knock-offs of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. The protagonist is an American WW2 assassin who got out of the business at the end of the war, but then gets dragged back in for Cold War work. Not "literary" but quick and actually interesting (not to say completely realistic, although they are more realistic than James Bond novels), with a convincing narrative voice.



EDIT: By the way, the second book in the series (The Wrecking Crew) takes place in Sweden.

[country doctor]

Yea I agree the beats are a good option, by that I mean Kerouac and Ginsberg, they are the two big ones.

For Kerouac, On The Road aesthetically speaking in one of his lesser works. His greatest are in my opinion Big Sur, Lonesome Traveler and Visions Of Cody. The latter being his best work in my opinion, it is there where he comes closest to Faulkner his literary father so to speck.

faulkner his literary father? the doc doesn't see that at all...in 'visions of cody' it appeared that kerouac was trying to reach his 'inner proust', albeit from a gritty american perspective...

proust seemed like more of an influence than faulkner to the doc...and in 'visions', it's kerouac himself who writes of 'proustian' type visions...

[kelby_lake]

George Orwell (obviously British but still constructing identity of that time) and Orson Wells (trying to tie in media).

Friends have suggested: (some) Hemingway, Pat Frank, Kurt Vonnegut.

American identity in the fourties is different from British identity in the fourties, so Orwell may not be able to help you in the specific American sense. Wells is a good bet though.

Arthur Miller is a must-read for American identity in the fourties. The big four are: Death of A Salesman but All My Sons (about WW2 profiteering), A View From The Bridge, and The Crucible (about McCarthyism). I say 'about'...the plays are more complex than that but it ties in with the era you're interested in.

[Scheherazade]

How about Catch-22 by Heller and Dangling Man by Saul Bellow?

[LuggageFan]

I am not sure that I understand what you are asking for.

You want to know about American literature written in the 1940's? A lot of people who would have been writing were fighting in the war, of course.