The Yerby technique follows the very accepted conventional tradition used by the most popular writers in American letters. Yerby's popularity can partially be explained by his manipulation of subject matter in which he explores the themes of everyday life seen from an historical and contemporary perspective. More importantly, he dwells on the sexual fantasies of most ordinary people and tries to captivate the essence of the concrete daily course of love with its romance and taboos.

Taking into consideration his avowed aim as a novelist in teaching and entertaining, Yerby succeeds in doing this by using parody and melodrama, satire and irony to bring forth his message.

In this way, Yerby illustrates the follies of humankind, to show man as a romantic being and to debunk social and spiritual institutions, and to condemn war. Yerby uses the picaresque or episodic tradition, as represented in Tom Jones (Fielding, 1749), Moll...