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Key Examples in East of Eden
Genre
Explanation and Analysis:
East of Eden is a prime example of a genre informally known as the "Great American Novel." Literary works that garner this title tackle the American mythos in some way, shape, or form, attempting to capture the essence of the country's culture. The plots of these novels generally involve travel across the continental U.S. and allude to or heavily feature the period of American westward expansion. Great American Novels, though they have the ability to be patriotic, are usually anything but, often bringing to the surface contradictions and horrors endemic to American life. There is an epicness and grandiosity to the American myth that novels like East of Eden simultaneously embody and criticize.
Related Themes:
