Dangling Man (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Saul Bellow
- First Published: 1944
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: December 15, 1942, to April 9, 1943
- Setting: Chicago, Illinois
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: 1940’s, World War II, Alienation, Chicago, Existentialism, Draft, military
- Locales: Chicago, IL
Characters Discussed
Joseph, an unemployed man dangling between civilian life and his final draft call into the U.S. Army, his induction delayed by bureaucratic red tape. A tall, handsome, flabby, well-educated man of introspective and philosophical habits of mind, he keeps a journal of his feelings and musings, growing more bitter, dispirited, and demoralized as he assesses the damage inflicted on his sense of self-identity by the seven-month delay. The major anxiety he feels is existential, such as how to keep his sense of being intact and unencumbered and how to keep his...
[The entire page is 1013 words long]
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