Using the selected works of eight twentieth-century writers, Wilson demonstrates how literature forms the essential evidence in his inquiry into the condition of modern existential man. He discovers recurrent themes, preconceptions, and concerns that establish a connection between literature and society. Examining specifc works by Fitzgerald, Hemingway, O’Neill, Miller, Baldwin, Pasternak, Camus, and Beckett, Wilson shows what literature tells us about specific societal forms and personality types.

Originally published in 1979.

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