Regionalism as autobiography : a study of John Graves's Goodbye to a River and Hard Scrabble.
John Graves, a Texan writer of the post-World War II period, has written two major narratives, Goodbye to a River and Hard Scrabble. Both books are classified as "regional" because they focus on a certain locale, but Graves uses regionalism as a pathway for more than mere description. Regionalism enables Graves to focus on one part of the country (the upper-Brazos river in north-central Texas) in order to gain a view of the entire lifestyle of that area. In his two major works, Graves integrates naturalism, history, and autobiography. Though this thesis treats these elements separately, all three interact with one another in the overall scheme of Graves's narratives. The chapters of this thesis trace Graves's activity as a naturalist, historian-folklorist, and autobiographer. Personal experience, reflection, folklore and history all contribute to Graves's persona as his life intersects with the Brazos area.
Graves, John, 1920-2013 -- Criticism and interpretation., Regionalism in literature., Texas -- In literature.
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