The Naked and the Dead (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Norman Mailer
- First Published: 1948
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: During World War II
- Setting: Anopopei, an island in the South Pacific
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Class conflict, Leadership, World War II, Soldiers, Pacific Ocean
- Locales: Islands, South Pacific, Anopopei (fictive)
Characters Discussed
General Edward Cummings, the commander of an American division attempting to subdue Japanese troops on the fictitious Pacific island of Anopopei. Cummings is a West Pointer, a career soldier who is convinced that the United States is destined to become the next imperial power and that the Army, which will play a major role in the coming years, can be his path to the power he needs. A latent homosexual, Cummings is fanatical about neatness and cleanliness. He selects Lieutenant Hearn as his aide and instructs the younger man and treats him favorably until...
[The entire page is 1117 words long]
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