America
America is the final word and image of the novel. It is, as is often the case, an image of hope and opportunity, but Bellow adds a layer of irony:That's the animal ridens in me, the laughing creatu...
Nobility
Augie is an American and in many ways thinks like an American. In one way, however, he has more of an old European spirit. He's often praising superior people in the language of aristocracy. He con...
Frailty
In Augie's world, frailty is no excuse for failure. His one-time boss and friend Einhorn is crippled with paralysis and needs someone to help him with menial daily tasks like getting dressed. Never...
Dirt
We already discussed how nobility is a sign of greatness in Augie March, but what about the opposite side of the spectrum? No need to fear, dirt is here. In this novel, dirt and dirtiness are image...
Order
Augie's life doesn't have much of an order to it. That makes reading about his adventures grueling work at times. It also makes it funny that Augie is so impressed with Einhorn, for whom order is o...