Literary Devices in An American Dream
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Although Rojack traipses all over Manhattan during An American Dream, there are two spots in particular that stand out: Cherry's downtown apartment and Kelly's midtown penthouse. These two wildly d...
Narrator Point of View
An American Dream is pretty much a personal tour of Rojack's twisted brain. While plenty happens during the course of the novel, a good deal of time is spent solely inside this crazy guy's head. Of...
Genre
An American Dream is one part existentialist literature and one part crime thriller. Basically, it's what would happen if Albert Camus guest-wrote the latest episode of Law and Order: SVU. Eek, we...
Tone
Stephen Rojack is as angry as the Hulk and as crazy as the Joker—and that's one killer combo.Every word is soaked in Rojack's overbearing anger. After killing Deborah, for example, he wonders if...
Writing Style
If you're looking for something straightforward, easy-to-understand, and plot-driven, then An American Dream will drive you insane.Mailer's most notable stylistic choice is his constant use of meta...
What's Up With the Title?
An American Dream is a play on the well-worn idea of the American Dream.As perfectly illustrated by the theme song to The Jeffersons, the American Dream is all about moving on up. Americans are dri...
What's Up With the Ending?
Things don't turn out quite as Rojack planned. As the book ends, he's just bested Barney Kelly, one of the most powerful men in the world—as you might imagine, this little victory amps Rojack upâ...
Tough-o-Meter
An American Dream isn't for everyone. The novel features a unique, metaphor-heavy writing style that might confuse some readers, and it's also worth mentioning that the subject matter can get...
Plot Analysis
Living on the EdgeAfter eight years of marriage, Stephen Rojack and his wife Deborah are separated. As you might imagine, the dude is pretty bummed out. At the moment, he's hanging out on his frien...
Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis
Anticipation StageStephen Rojack is separated from his wife Deborah, a wealthy heiress. This seriously bums him out—so much so, in fact, that he's currently standing on a roof, contemplating suic...
Three-Act Plot Analysis
Stephen Rojack is an ex-congressman and television host. Although he's been married to Deborah Kelly—a wealthy heiress—for eight years, their relationship has started to deteriorate. This leave...
Trivia
Norman Mailer had more beefs than every West Coast rapper combined. One of his more famous conflicts took place on the Dick Cavett Show, when he got into an altercation with writer Gore Vidal. Appa...
Steaminess Rating
An American Dream is a pretty nasty book. Its nastiness includes: tons of violence, tons of sexuality, and a few instances where the two are blended into an unpleasant cocktail. While there's certa...
Allusions
Literary and Philosophical References
Sigmund Freud (first reference 1.48; throughout)Horatio Alger (5.271)John F. Kennedy (first reference 1.1; throughout)Eleanor Roosevelt (1.8-9)Henry Wallace (1...