War in the Novel A Thematic Study of the Early Novels Of John Doss Passos

Abstract

For many novelists, there are certain times, or periods, that exert subtle influence and a remarkable significance on their personalities, and later on their literary careers. For the American novelist John Doss Passos (1896-1970) and others of his contemporaries, it was the period which is known as the 1920s in American modern history. This period was one of great and serious change in American society, its manners, morals and life-style. It is the period between the end of World War 1 which was followed by the Versailles Treaty, and the economic crisis of the Wall Street in1929 which in turn severely affected the entire social and political action of the age. This period early aroused the novelist's sense and inspired him with many contrasting and conflicting images. This thematic study tries to shed some light on the American modern history (definitely in the 1920s) as depicted and reflected in three of John Dosss Passos' early novels: One Man's Initiation (1920) Three Soldiers (1921 ) and US A Trilogy ( 1938 ) .