The 42nd Parallel Chapter Summary & Analysis | pgs. 1-21

pgs. 1-21 Summary

The 42nd Parallel by John Dos Passos, is the first part of the USA Trilogy. The book is about the lives of ordinary Americans living in and trapped by the time period in which they live. These people live their lives and pass on or just disappear. Some meet an interact with one another while others don't.

The book begins with a Newsreel about the closing on Capital City's Century. Commanding General Miles is riding a horse which stumbles and falls on him. The General gets up and gets back on the horse. Other news clips follow, such as ex-President Harrison speaking at the Columbia Club banquet in Indianapolis at which a toast was made saying that the twentieth century would be dominated by America and American thought.

In The Camera Eye, Dos Passos talks about walking along a cobblestone path and being careful not to step on the...
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