Dos Passos: Theory and Practice of Writing

The 42nd Parallel is the first part of the USA trilogy by John Dos Passos. The trilogy reflects the society, people, and events of the developing twentieth century. Dos Passos uses a variety of techniques to create a portrait of American culture:  first person/ stream of consciousness narratives in the "Camera Eye" sections, an objective journalistic view in the "Newsreels," and a third-person account of fictional characters.  Below are links to descriptive explanations of the different techniques that make The 42nd Parallel a powerful and unique novel.