The American Themes

Christopher Newman's all about consuming beauty. He loves roaming around the Louvre, devouring every masterpiece with his eyes and playing at being an art connoisseur. When he's not looking at pret...

Pride goeth before a fall, as our Granny Shmoop used to say. And, in Newman's case, that's the straight-up truth. His pride leads him into lots of less-than-ideal situations, like not realizing tha...

You might as well stick the knife in and twist it. Newman's totally heartbroken when the Bellegarde family backstabs him in a big way. But should he be surprised? After all, it's not like Newman wa...

Revenge is a dish best served cold…like grapes, thin-crust pizza, and leftover Chinese food.Newman doesn't seem to have internalized that message, unfortunately. He's running around Paris, trying...

As far as suffering goes, most of the characters in The American are pretty lucky. Everyone in Newman's social circle is filthy rich and extremely comfortable in their beautiful homes. No one is, s...

Ambition is the bread and butter of every character in The American. Sure, they all have different ambitions. Newman wants to solidify his social standing and millionaire status by landing the perf...

Newman's thrilled about moving to Paris. Give him a baguette and a striped shirt, and he thinks he'll fool the most seasoned Parisian. It doesn't work that way, honey. Mrs. Tristram tries to break...

Our boy Newman doesn't just make choices. He makes dramatic choices that involve scurrying off to France to find a wife. He leaves his fortune and his life in America at the drop of a hat. See, mak...