Literature As Life; Life As Literature

Mailer’s Existential Shout of Defiance in An American Dream

Authors

  • Barry H. Leeds Central Connecticut State University Author

Keywords:

An American Dream, existentialism, literature and life, moral choice, good versus evil, American identity, reader response, allegory and symbolism

Abstract

The author of The Structured Vision of Norman Mailer and The Enduring Vision of Norman Mailer recalls the early influence of Mailer, particularly An American Dream.

Author Biography

  • Barry H. Leeds, Central Connecticut State University

    Barry H. Leeds is CSU Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English at Central Connecticut State University. His books include The Structured Vision of Norman Mailer (NYU Press, 1969) and The Enduring Vision of Norman Mailer (PBS, 2002). He is Vice President of The Norman Mailer Society and a member of the Editorial Board of The Mailer Review.

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Published

2026-10-09

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2012): Why Mailer Matters

Section

Articles