I Am Charlotte Simmons (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)

At a glance:

  • Author: Tom Wolfe
  • First Published: 2004
  • Type of Work: Novel
  • Time of Work: 2004
  • Setting: The fictional Dupont University in Pennsylvania
  • Principal Characters: Charlotte Simmons, Jojo Johanssen, Hoyt Thorpe, Adam Gellin, Beverly Amory, Miss Pennington
  • Genres: Long fiction
  • Subjects: United States or Americans
  • Locales: Pennsylvania

I Am Charlotte Simmons, like most of author Tom Wolfe's work, employs an extravagant, sprawling style to examine a small segment of society. Beginning with nonfiction treatments of such specialized American subcultures as the custom car world and NASA astronauts, Wolfe then turned to the novel to explore the excesses of New York City in the 1980's and the southern elite of Atlanta. Known as an astute and acerbic social observer and critic, he has coined such catchphrases as the “me decade” and “good old boy,” which have become part of the American national lexicon. With...

[The entire page is 1791 words long]

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