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Lesson 1 (from pgs. 1-21)

Objective

pgs. 1-21

In The 42nd Parallel, the author John Dos Passos establishes the genre of the book as fictional realism. Realism emphasizes the importance of the ordinary and unidealized. Fictional realism asserts that because fictions exist, fictional characters exist as well. The objective of this lesson is to examine how the writing style of this section reveals the genre of this book as fictional realism.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: What is a fictional realism novel? Begin with a discussion of this genre. Identify elements of a fictional realism novel in this chapter. In a fictional realism novel, history is evoked through realistic depictions of society, characters, and events. What does the author reveal about the character(s) in these settings that immediately introduces the element of a fictional realism novel? What elements of the story line are filled with this "authentic" genre?

2) Group Discussion: Divide the class...

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