Grounded in theoretical studies of postmodern and narrative ethics, this book proposes the need for a re-examination of E. L. Doctorow’s work from an ethical perspective. Through in-depth analyses of previously neglected intertexts, it questions the classification of his fiction as an expression of postmodern skepticism. Seven of Doctorow’s most widely acclaimed novels are dealt with in chronological order, tracing his finely tuned characterizations of the human quest for narrative truth. Growing out of the early protagonists’ vague sense of moral consciousness is their recognition of an obligation to interpret signs from and for the Other. Through logical deliberation and close reading, the study gradually identifies the narrative voice of the post-modern gnostic.

The Author: Catharine Walker Bergström received her Ph.D. from Gothenburg University (Sweden) and is a senior lecturer of English at University West in Trollhättan. To aid students in contextualizing literary works they study, she has co-authored an interactive teaching text entitled Texts and Events: Cultural Narratives of Britain and the United States, which interweaves literary and historical narratives. It also discourages readers from viewing any text as finite by providing links to various websites.

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