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This overview delves into the portrayal of American society through literature, highlighting John Updike's middle-class narratives, Philip Roth's Jewish-American identity exploration, Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright's African-American perspectives, William Gaddis and John Hawkes's complex fiction, Flannery O'Connor's short stories, and the development of American poetry from Puritanism to the 19th century.
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John Updike's innovative use of present-tense narration and focus on sensory details captured the essence of American life in the second half of the 20th century
Philip Roth's exploration of Jewish-American identity and his use of clear prose and blurring of fact and fiction solidified his position as a leading literary figure
Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" and Richard Wright's "Native Son" offer poignant accounts of race and identity in postwar America
William Gaddis's novels, such as "The Recognitions" and "J R," critique various facets of American culture and require an engaged readership
John Hawkes's surreal and experimental style in works like "The Lime Twig" address themes of violence and eroticism
Flannery O'Connor's Southern gothic stories blend realism with allegory and often explore themes of faith and moral skepticism
Writers like Katherine Anne Porter, Eudora Welty, and Raymond Carver also contributed to the resurgence of the short story genre in the postwar era
American poetry evolved from its Puritan beginnings to more secular and artistic expressions, with poets like Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson making significant contributions