Breece D'J Pancake Criticism
The literary contributions of Breece D'J Pancake, though limited by his tragically short life, have nonetheless left an indelible mark on American literature. Emerging from the Appalachian region, Pancake's work captures the essence of the area's life, teeming with its despair and stark beauty, as illustrated in A Lost Generation: The Appalachia of Breece D'J Pancake. His narratives are deeply rooted in West Virginia's cultural and physical landscapes, vividly portraying harsh and often bleak environments. His characters' struggles and despair mirror the existential plights of their settings, reflecting a unique sense of place that aligns him with the tradition of Southern literature, a connection discussed by Greg Bottoms.
Pancake's posthumous collection, The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake, released in 1982, brought his masterful, spare, and precise prose style to the forefront, earning him comparisons to Ernest Hemingway, as noted by Joyce Carol Oates. His ability to evoke deep emotional resonance from such concise language has captivated readers and critics alike. James Alan McPherson and John Casey have highlighted Pancake's complex personality and literary ambitions, which were profoundly intertwined with his connection to his native region and the empathy he extended to his characters.
Despite the acclaim, some critics, such as Daphne Merkin, contend that his reputation might overshadow his actual literary achievements. However, Pancake's stories continue to offer profound insights, delivering what Patricia Vigderman describes as "the deep pleasure of art created out of the need to transform suffering." His exploration of themes such as poverty, shame, loss, and the desire to escape one's circumstances is examined by critics like Susan Salter Reynolds and Albert E. Wilhelm, and further explored by Robert Wilson. These critical perspectives underscore the intensity and enduring significance of Pancake's voice in the canon of American literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Pancake, Breece D'J (Contemporary Literary Criticism)
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Foreword
(summary)
In the following essay, James Alan McPherson explores the complex personality and literary ambition of Breece D'J Pancake, highlighting his influences, his drive to portray an authentic image of West Virginia, and the mystery surrounding his melancholic and introspective nature.
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Afterword
(summary)
In the following essay, John Casey explores the profound connection Breece D'J Pancake had with his native West Virginia, his intense dedication to writing, his conversion to Catholicism, and how these aspects, along with his empathetic absorption of others' experiences, shaped his powerful yet gentle literary voice.
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From England to Brooklyn to West Virginia: 'The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake'
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In the following essay, Joyce Carol Oates examines the tragic and powerful nature of Breece D'J Pancake's posthumous collection, "The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake," highlighting its portrayal of the harsh realities faced by the impoverished characters in West Virginia and the author's exceptional talent and sympathetic understanding of their plights.
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Tales from the West Virginia Hills and Hollows
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In the following essay, Robert Wilson explores Breece D'J Pancake's masterful portrayal of loss and cultural decay in West Virginia through his stories, particularly "Trilobites," while acknowledging the unsettling themes of misogyny and violence that intertwine with Pancake's vivid sense of place and character.
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K-Marts and Failing Farms
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In the following essay, Patricia Vigderman analyzes Breece D'J Pancake's short stories, highlighting their profound portrayal of individual struggles and choices within a harsh rural setting, while praising Pancake's skill in balancing intimate character insights with a detached descriptive style that evokes a tangible sense of place and emotion.
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Violent Places
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In the following essay, Robert Towers critiques Breece D'J Pancake's narrative style in The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake, highlighting his vivid depiction of the West Virginia landscape and the narrow emotional range, marked by despair and violence, that reflects a state of mind verging on adolescent Weltschmerz.
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The Aura of Suicide
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In the following essay, Daphne Merkin critiques The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake for their harsh and pitiless portrayal of West Virginian life, suggesting that while Pancake possesses a clear eye for detail, the stories often succumb to an imposed laconic style, leaving readers weary of their underlying anger and depression.
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The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
(summary)
In the following essay, Bolton Davis examines Breece D'J Pancake's collection, arguing that the stories' exceptional quality arises from their powerful sense of place, highlighted by Pancake's detailed observations of daily life and nature, and the poignant tension between the desire to escape and the inescapable pull of home.
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Bare Gaping Wounds
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In the following essay, Gregory Morris explores the themes of geographical despair and emotional pain in Breece D'J Pancake's stories, highlighting how characters seek redemption amidst the violence and bleakness of their environment, which reflects the author's own intense emotional struggles.
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The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
(summary)
In the following essay, Lucinda Franks examines the powerful portrayal of Appalachian life in Breece D'J Pancake's stories, highlighting how his characters' introspective struggles and the vivid depiction of their impoverished environment reveal both the mystery of Pancake's own life and the tragedy of his untimely death.
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Foreword
(summary)
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Pancake, Breece D'J (Short Story Criticism)
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K-Marts and Failing Farms
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Vigderman favorably compares Pancake's short stories to Bobbie Mason's Shiloh and Other Stories, asserting that Pancake's fiction “offers the deep pleasure of art created out of the need to transform suffering.”
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The Aura of Suicide
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In the following review, Merkin asserts that the stories comprising The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake do not live up to their critical reputation.
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Hills of Home
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In the following review, Nelson explores the defining characteristics of Pancake's short stories.
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The Legend of Breece D'J Pancake
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In the following review, Hendrickson provides an interview with Pancake's mother and an overview of Pancake's life and career.
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A Lost Generation: The Appalachia of Breece D'J Pancake
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In the following essay, High investigates the role of kinship in Pancake's short stories.
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Short Stack: The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
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In the following essay, Harpham contrasts Pancake's stories with those of James Joyce, perceiving the short story as the suitable genre for Pancake's ability as a writer.
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Poverty of Spirit in Breece Pancake's Short Fiction
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In the following essay, Wilhelm identifies poverty of spirit as a unifying theme in Pancake's stories.
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Breece D'J Pancake
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In the following essay, Kadohata offers a biographical and critical profile of Pancake, whose collection of stories was published in 1983, four years after he killed himself at age twenty-six. The collection is described as tense and paradoxical, exploring themes of redemption and sin, estrangement and empathy, and the complexities of leaving versus staying.
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In a Melancholy State
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In the following mixed review, Montrose deems Trilobites and Other Stories “an intimately frustrating memorial, testifying to potential rather than achievement.”
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Writing Region Across the Border: Two Stories of Breece Pancake and Alistair MacLeod
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In the following essay, Stevens considers Pancake and the Canadian writer Alistair MacLeod as regional writers.
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Sentimental, Heartbroken Rednecks
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In the following essay, Bottoms discusses Pancake as a Southern writer and offers a thematic overview of his short fiction.
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Discoveries
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In the following review, Reynolds investigates the role of shame in Pancake's short stories.
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K-Marts and Failing Farms
(summary)
- Further Reading