Lie Down in Darkness (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
At a glance:
- Author: William Styron
- First Published: 1951
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Mid-twentieth century
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: Virginia, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Suicide, New York City, 1940’s, 1920’s, 1930’s, Alcoholism or alcoholics, Substance abuse, Adultery, Death or dying, Lawyers, Funeral rites or ceremonies, Bereavement or grief, Mental retardation
- Locales: New York, NY, Charlottesville, VA
Places Discussed
Port Warwick. Industrial town in Virginia. The events of the central plot occur on one hot August day, in 1945, in the town of Port Warwick, based closely on William Styron’s hometown of Newport News, Virginia. In the opening scenes of the novel, a train carrying Peyton Loftis’s body arrives in Port Warwick, a town where heat and dust oppress the inhabitants. As the funeral procession drives toward the cemetery, the characters feel the omnipresent heat, smell the marsh and rotting fish, and hear the sounds of the shipyard. Peyton’s father, Milton, his...
[The entire page is 893 words long]
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