The Messenger (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Wright
- First Published: 1963
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: The late 1950’s and early 1960’s
- Setting: New York City
- Principal Characters: Charlie Stevenson, Shirley, Troy Lamb, Maxine, Claudia (The Grand Duchess), Ruby Stonewall, Grandma
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Autobiographical fiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, African Americans, 1960’s, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Gay men, Homosexuality or homosexuals, Sex or sexuality, Authors or writers, New York City, Prostitution or prostitutes, Religion, Friendship, Midwest, Substance abuse, Veterans, Grandparents or grandchildren, Drug addiction or addicts, Depression, mental, Missouri
- Locales: New York, NY
The Novel
The Messenger is the autobiographical first-person narrative of Charlie, a lonely man. The novel is episodic. Each of its forty short, loosely connected chapters recalls an incident from Charlie’s past or describes in graphic detail his current situation as a promising writer who makes a meager living as a messenger for Wall Street brokers. In a style that is at times spare and reportorial, and at other times highly lyrical and expressionistic, Charles Wright portrays this young man’s slide toward an increasing sense of hopelessness and despair in the...
[The entire page is 2322 words long]
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