Manhattan Transfer Summary
John Dos Passos

Manhattan Transfer Summary

Manhattan Transfer is a story about New York City from the turn of the 19th to the 20th century up to the start of The Great Depression. Ellen Thatcher and Jimmy Herf grow up in the city during the same time. Ellen has her hard-working father, Ed, who provides for her as best he can after his wife dies. Jimmy's mother dies when he is a young boy, leaving him parentless during his childhood. Ellen has a reoccurring pattern of marriage and divorce, while Jimmy cannot find his true path as a writer in the city. They have a brief marriage that produces one son, Martin. Ellen continues in her cycle of marriage and divorce, while Jimmy breaks free of the city.

Many other lives play out around the two central characters. Bud Korpening tries to live in the city, but nothing works out for him. He ends up committing... View more of the Manhattan Transfer Summary