The Hero in Contemporary American Fiction: The Works of Saul Bellow and Don DeLillo (American Literature Readings in the Twenty-First Century)

This Book Sets Out To Write Nothing Short Of A New Theory Of The Heroic For Today's World. It Delves Into The Why Of The Hero As A Natural Companion Piece To The How Of The Hero As Written By Northrop Frye And Joseph Campbell Over Half A Century Ago. The Novels Of Saul Bellow And Don Delillo Serve As An Anchor To The Theory As It Challenges Our Notions Of What Is Heroic About Nymphomaniacs, Holocaust Survivors, Spurious Academics, Cult Followers, Terrorists, Celebrities, Photographers, And Writers Of Novels Who All Attempt To Claim The Right To Be Hero.--jacket. Defining The Hero Form -- Henderson The Rain King: The Hero Surrendered -- Mr. Sammler's Planet: The Hero Accused -- White Noise: The Hero Defended -- Mao Ii: The Hero Returned. Stephanie S. Halldorson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [201]-217) And Index. Contents 8 Preface 10 Acknowledgments 14 Chapter 1 16 Defining the Hero: Form 16 Where Have All the Heroes Gone? 16 Defining the Hero 20 Welcome the Assumed Hero 23 Defining the American Hero: Story 26 3D Reality and the End Narrative 26 A Brief Overview of Saul Bellow's Heroes 31 A Brief Overview of Don DeLillo's Heroes 37 Chapter 2 46 Henderson the Rain King: The Hero Surrendered 46 The Novel and its Hero 46 The Hero in the Novel 57 Chapter 3 86 Mr. Sammler's Planet: The Hero Accused 86 The Novel and its Hero 86 The Hero in the Novel 100 Chapter 4 124 White Noise: The Hero Defended 124 The Novel and its Hero 124 The Hero in the Novel 136 Chapter 5 160 Mao II: The Hero Returned 160 The Novel and its Hero 160 The Hero in the Novel 173 Conclusion 194 Notes 200 Bibliography 216 Index 234 A 234 B 234 C 235 D 235 E 236 F 236 G 236 H 236 I 236 J 237 K 237 L 237 M 237 N 237 O 237 P 237 Q 238 R 238 S 238 T 238 V 238 W 238 Y 238 Z 238 Through an in-depth analysis of the works of Saul Bellow and Don DeLillo, this book offers up a new theory of the heroic for the times we live in