The 42nd Parallel

Section One

1. The 42nd Parallel opens with the claim that

   U.S.A. is the world's greatest rivervalley fringed with mountains and hills. U.S.A. is a set of bigmouthed officials with too many bank accounts. U.S.A. is a lot of men buried in their uniforms in Arlington Cemetery. U.S.A. is the letters at the end of an address when you're away from home. But mostly U.S.A. is the speech of the people. (Page xx)

   Whose speech is heard in the novel? Whose speech is excluded? What does it mean to construct a multi-vocal account of America?
2. Movement and speed are recurring images in Dos Passos's novel. Using examples of movement and speed from the Newsreels, the Camera Eyes, and the narrative accounts, discuss how the twentieth century is portrayed as a century on the move. What effects does this have on people's lives?
3. How would you construct a newreel on America at the end of the twentieth century? What elements of popular culture, politics, and social protest would be included in such a newsreel? Would a newsreel in the Dos Passos style be any less fractured and disjointed today?

Section Two

1. Urbanization and industrialization laid the groundwork for new forms of labor in the twentieth century. With reference to two different characters in The 42nd Parallel, discuss how work conditions and life on the job have changed in the new century. What aspects of work have remained the same?
2. The 42nd Parallel was written in 1930; Dos Passos could look back across the 1920s to World War I and the era that proceeded it. This novel is a reflection of his post-war point of view. With that in mind, what role do imperialism and militarism play in the novel? How do themes of America's role in the world affect the action? Re-read the newsreels on pages 356-357 and 367-368 and consider what they reveal about Dos Passos's views about the war.
3. At the end of the novel, most of the characters have begun to encounter J. Ward Moorehouse: he stands in some way at the center of the action. What does this symbolize? Do you agree with Dos Passos that such men have taken center stage in America at the opening of the new century?
4. Women assume new roles in society at the beginning of the twentieth century. How does Dos Passos present women in history of America? How does he describe their social and work lives? How are relations between men and women changing? How do women get what they want in the world? Consider not only Eleanor and Janey, but also the wives and mistresses of Mac and Ward as well.
5. Coming back to the idea of USA as a collection of voices, whose voices ultimately are heard in The 42nd Parallel? Whom is this novel about? Does the novel have any heroes? Don't forget to consider the Camara Eye and biography sections in your answer.

Internet Resources

USA: Agitprop or Masterpiece?

A short re-consideration of the trilogy, originally published in Civilization magazine in November 1997.

The Adventures of John Dos Passos

From Daniel Aaron's Writers on the Left, dealing with Dos Passos' response to the Spanish Civil War, the Russian Revolution, and the World Wars. Includes copious quotations from Dos Passos himself.

Randolph Bourne, "The War and the Intellectuals"

A contemporary article exploring the response of American intellectuals to the entrance of the U.S.A. into World War I.

America's Leaders Speak

Fifty-nine sound recordings of speeches by American leaders addressing issues and events surrounding the First World War and the presidential election of 1920.

Theodore Roosevelt: Icon of the American Century

A Smithsonian-sponsored exhibit exploring Roosevelt's role in shaping America's vision of itself at the dawn of the twentieth century. Features images of Roosevelt in the work of cartoonists, portrait artists, and photographers.

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