Washington, D.C. (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Gore Vidal
- First Published: 1967
- Type of Work: Novel
- Genres: Long fiction, Historical fiction, Political fiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, History, United States or Americans, Politics, 1940’s, World War II, Depression, economic, 1930’s, Washington, D.C., Elections, Presidents, Korean War, Cold War
- Locales: Washington, D.C.
Vidal has said that he was born to be a writer but was trained to be a politician; he grew up in the environment he describes in Washington, D.C. The origins of the United States fascinate him, and he uses his historical novels to trace the evolution of the nation's history. Vidal keeps his focus on the elite, as he believes that the masses of people have little to do with shaping the course of American national history. He confronts one of the oldest and hardest questions that historians face: Do individuals (the “great” men and women) shape history, or do impersonal forces...
[The entire page is 810 words long]
