Nov 21, 2008
Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart | Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart
At a glance:
- Author: Joyce Carol Oates
- First Published: 1990
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: The 1950’s and the early 1960’s
- Setting: A small town in western New York State
- Principal Characters: Little Red Garlock, Iris Courtney, Persia Courtney, Duke Courtney, Jinx Fairchild, Mr. and Mrs. Savage, Alan Savage
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, Civil rights, 1960’s, United States or Americans, Racism, Crime or criminals, Murder or homicide, Gender roles, Violence, War, Photography or photographers, Blood, Sports
- Locales: New York
The Novel
Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart is divided into three parts and an
epilogue. With the exception of the omniscient perspective of part 1, the narrative is presented from
the third-person point of view, allowing Oates to explore the perspectives of many different
characters.
Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart explores the impact of race and class
on the formation of identity in America. Oates uses four families to illustrate this: the poor white
Garlocks, the struggling black Fairchilds, the ambitious working-class...
[The entire page is 2727 words long]
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