This study examines the place of A Man's Woman in Norris' experiments to synthesize realistic and romantic forms. In the novel Norris returns to the Zolaesque perspective seen earlier in McTeague but also treats the large philosophical and psychological questions which he was to address in The Octopus and The Pit. Through a close analysis of the text, the writer argues that the book does have "significant form," displaying Norris' intelligence in the matter of preparing the reader for the credible experiences of the main crises and their resolution. Using a psychological structure, Norris creates consistently his "two real people," Ward Bennett and Lloyd Searight. The latter part of the study examines the changes which Norris made as the work moved from serial to text form, changes which shed light both on Norris' own evaluation of the novel and his intentions for the work. Finally, the writer notes that Norris did learn about his own strengths and weaknesses, both in terms of his abilities to develop character and to handle complex questions. Consequently, A Man's Woman represents a significant step in Norris' career. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 1148. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74410 |
| Contributors | DOVER, LINDA ARNOW., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 205 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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