Literary Themes and Styles of Gaitskill, Saunders, O’Brien, and Proulx

What does Mary Gaitskill say many middle-class people were taught not to do?

Think for themselves.

What does Gaitskill say about a world where everyone is nice?

It isn't recognizable; life isn't like that.

What does Gaitskill believe can be 'buried' inside people?

Their truest parts.

What subject matter does Gaitskill often write about?

Marginalized sexualities, taboo topics (prostitution, abortion, sadomasochism), trauma, emotional isolation.

What are common themes in Gaitskill's work?

Human longing, suffering, self-deception, intimacy.

What character types appear frequently in Gaitskill's stories?

Misfits, people acting on their worst impulses, tough but vulnerable women, victims who become cruel.

What does George Saunders call fiction?

A compassion-generating machine.

What life experiences shaped Saunders' writing?

Many working-class jobs (geophysicist, clerk, doorman, slaughterhouse worker).

What major system does Saunders critique?

Capitalism and corporate dehumanization.

What are common themes in Saunders's work?

Consumerism, corporate absurdity, struggles of the working poor, ethics and kindness.

What writing characteristics define Saunders?

Satire, absurdism, dark humor, invented corporate jargon, unreliable narrators.

What technique blends magical or supernatural elements with everyday life in Saunders's work?

Magical realism.

What does Tim O'Brien say stories can do?

Stories can save our lives.

What major historical event shaped O'Brien's writing?

Being drafted into the Vietnam War.

What is O'Brien's view on truth in storytelling?

Story-truth can be truer than real truth.

What style is O'Brien known for?

Metafiction, rapid POV shifts, hyperreal detail, lists.

What are common themes in O'Brien's work?

Anti-glorification of war, psychological cost of war, fear, shame, death, loss of humanity.

What is one positive force O'Brien often highlights?

The bonds between soldiers.

What does Annie Proulx say stories 'fall out of'?

Place—its geology, climate, weather, flora, fauna.

What is Proulx's view on happiness?

Most people aren't happy; claims of happiness are lies.

What types of communities does Proulx write about?

Small, rural, isolated communities.

What struggles are common in Proulx's work?

Those of farmers, ranchers, and laborers.

What social tension does Proulx often depict?

Rural people vs. townies who 'encroach' on them.

What are common themes in Proulx's stories?

Violence, intolerance, consequences of cruelty, suppression of sexuality, survival in harsh landscapes.

What are stylistic features of Proulx's writing?

Choppy language, dialects, figurative language, crude humor, no sentimentality, landscape focus.

What is unique about 'Brokeback Mountain'?

It contains harshness and violence but also rare tenderness—a love story between two cowboys.