Edith’s Diary (Masterplots II: Women’s Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Patricia Highsmith
- First Published: 1977
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: 1955-1975
- Setting: Brunswick Corner, Pennsylvania
- Principal Characters: Edith Howland, Brett Howland, Cliffie Howland, George, Melanie, Gert Johnson, Carol Junkin, Dr. Francis Carstairs, Debbie Bowden
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s, United States or Americans, Journalism or journalists, Mothers, Parents and children, Mental illness, Reality, Divorce, Fantasy, Imagination, Cruelty, Hallucinations or illusions
- Locales: Brunswick Corner, PA
Form and Content
Edith’s Diary covers a twenty-year span (1955-1975) in the life of a typical American family as it discovers (as Edith writes in her diary) that the “difference between dream and reality is the true hell.” The novel opens with the Howland family in search of an idyllic existence. Brett and Edith decide to move from New York City to a small town in Pennsylvania in order to provide Cliffie, their emotionally disturbed son, with an environment more conducive to a healthy childhood. In addition, Brett and Edith plan to start a small liberal newspaper,...
[The entire page is 2061 words long]
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