Critical Essay | Critical Essay by William H. Roberson

Critical Essay by William H. Roberson

SOURCE: "'A Good Day to Live', The Prose Works of Jim Harrison," in Great Lakes Review, Central Michigan University, Vol. 8, No. 2, Fall, 1982, pp. 29-37.

In the following excerpt, Roberson examines the themes and characters of Legends of the Fall.

The basic theme in Harrison's prose is the individual's attempt to come to terms with, and to survive in, contemporary society. Modern life is depicted as shapeless. Society inevitably provides no stability or security for the individual. He must create his own sense of meaning and belonging by finding something to personally place his faith in, an event or belief that will give his life form. Harrison's characters are wanters and dreamers, existing on the edge of failure, their dreams perverted by the reality of contemporary society, but possessing an ability to survive. The support that is lacking in society, but is necessary for their survival, is often...
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