Thumbnail - Request a copy

Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom : a withdrawal from society or a social novel?

Chupin, Helen (2011), Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom : a withdrawal from society or a social novel?, Questioning the social role of the writer, 2011-04, Paris, France

Type
Communication / Conférence
Date
2011
Conference title
Questioning the social role of the writer
Conference date
2011-04
Conference city
Paris
Conference country
France
Journal name
Cahiers du CICLaS
Number
14
Publisher
CICLaS (Université Paris-Dauphine)
Pages
95-109
Metadata
Show full item record
Author(s)
Chupin, Helen
Abstract (EN)
This article aims to address the question, suggested by the critical debate launched by Franzen's previous writing, of the nature and degree of Franzen's engagement with public issues in his fourth novel, Freedom. I argue that this dystopian comedy of contemporary American manners offers an ambiguous presentation of the environmentalist point of view and is most successful as a projection on the American scene of a personal, depressive vision of life.
Subjects / Keywords
social novel; Jonathan Franzen; Freedom; depressive outlook