The Falls (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Joyce Carol Oates
- First Published: 2004
- Type of Work: Novel
- Time of Work: 1950-1978
- Setting: Niagara Falls, New York
- Principal Characters: Ariah Burnaby, Dirk Burnaby, Chandler Burnaby, Royall Burnaby, Juliet Burnaby, Stonecrop, Nina Olshaker, The Rev. Littrell, Gilbert Erskine
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s, Family or family life, New York, United States or Americans, Wives, Mothers, Marriage, Women, Lawyers, Rivers or waterways, Pianos or pianists, Environment or environmental health, Water, Water power
- Locales: Niagara Falls, NY
Niagara Falls plays a major role in Joyce Carol Oates's aptly titled novel, The Falls. The grandeur and mystical attraction, along with the thunderous roar of the falls, permeate the action. The ever-present mist that is generated by the cascades of water seeps into the lives of the people who dwell in its presence. Not only do the falls serve as a backdrop for the human conflict that resembles the intensity of the unharnessed water, but their turbulence also defines the novel's style. Typical of Oates's work, the plot unfolds in torrents of action, which sometimes appear murky....
[The entire page is 1701 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
