In the Beauty of the Lilies (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: John Updike
- First Published: 1995
- Type of Plot: Family
- Time of Work: 1910 to 1990
- Setting: Paterson, New Jersey; Basingstoke, Delaware; Hollywood, California; and Lower Branch, Colorado
- Principal Characters: Clarence Wilmot, Theodore “Teddy” Wilmot, Esther “Essie” Wilmot, Clark DeMott
- Genres: Long fiction, Family literature
- Subjects: Twentieth century, Religion, Symbolism, Faith, Identity, Popular culture
- Locales: Colorado, Hollywood, CA, Basingstoke, DE, Paterson, NJ
The Novel
In the Beauty of the Lilies is divided into four sections of roughly similar lengths, each named for one of the novel’s central characters. The third-person narrator of each section has a limited point of view: that is, the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of the character for whom the section is named.
The “Clarence” chapter begins in 1910 in Paterson, New Jersey. Mary Pickford, the famous actress, is starring in a film being made nearby. It is a warm day, and Pickford faints on the set. At the same moment, a few miles away, Reverend...
[The entire page is 2576 words long]
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