George Mills Themes

This Study Guide consists of approximately 10 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of George Mills.

George Mills Themes

This Study Guide consists of approximately 10 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of George Mills.
This section contains 537 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the George Mills Short Guide

George Mills Summary & Study Guide Description

George Mills Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections:

This detailed literature summary also contains Literary Precedents on George Mills by Stanley Elkin.

Preview of George Mills Summary:

The key themes of the novel concern history itself, as a determinant of human fate, and thus the larger issue of individual freedom to create oneself.

The problematic curse on the Mills family is to a degree their own acceptance of its inevitability, or of history's power to repress and determine our lives. The current George Mills, although overtly less promising than his ancestors, has come to his own way of dealing with history, and progresses to a state Elkin describes at the end of the sermon George gives as the novel concludes as, "relieved of history as an amnesiac."

The novel further associates the escape from history's trap with grace and with denial of life-creating forces.

In an elementary way, the current Mills escapes history's trap by refusing to pass on his flawed birthright.

All his ancestors wanted sons and heirs, who would also be auditors for...

This section contains 537 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the George Mills Short Guide
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George Mills from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.