An Analysis Of The Realistic And Modernistic Characteristics Of Herzog

Regarded as one of the most important American novelists after WWII, Saul Bellow shows us the chaos and absurdity of the modern world, and represents the dilemma of modern people when searching for their identities, with his acute understanding of the contemporary capitalist society. His protagonists are often dangling intellectuals fighting for identities. Herzog is often recognized as his masterpiece. In Herzog, Bellow integrates the fine traditions of realism and the techniques of modernism in order to depict Herzog's striving life in the absurd world. This thesis attempts to analyze the realistic and modernistic characteristics of Herzog.This thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter one is the introduction to Saul Bellow and his Herzog, as well as criticisms by critics from home and abroad on both of them; Chapter two is to discuss the realistic feature of Herzog regarding the real social background and Herzog's striving life; Chapter three is to analyze the modernistic characteristics of the novel. It mainly includes three techniques:the employment of symbolism, stream-of-consciousness technique and black humor; Chapter four is the conclusion.With subtle analyses and convincing proofs, we can reach the conclusion that Herzog is an outstanding novel that reflects the alienated condition of the modern people and their struggles for identities, with both realistic and modernistic characteristics.