The Groves of Academe (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Mary McCarthy
- First Published: 1952
- Type of Plot: Social satire
- Time of Work: The early 1950’s
- Setting: Jocelyn College, Jocelyn, Pennsylvania
- Principal Characters: Henry Mulcahy, Domna Rejnev, Maynard Hoar, John Bentkoop, Alma Fortune, Aristide Poncy, Howard Furness
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: Teaching or teachers
- Locales: Pennsylvania
The Novel
In The Groves of Academe, Mary McCarthy presents a typical academic novel in that the events that dominate and determine the lives of the characters gain their importance from their roles in a specific academic culture. In the very first paragraph, literature instructor Henry Mulcahy receives notice that his contract at the fictitious Jocelyn College will not be renewed. The entire plot revolves around his reaction to this termination, ending in revenge when Mulcahy’s contract is renewed and the president who tried to fire him is forced to resign.
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