own cinematic destiny; and Mary French, arguably
the heroine of the trilogy, is the only one of the main
characters that Dos Passos keeps alive and healthy
at the end. She embodies the social-activist-turned-
feminist, and an astute reader may find that, though
hope is lost for most of the other characters—male
and female—she provides a glimmer.
While some critics have asserted that the litera-
ture of this historical period is inherently misogy-
nistic, it would seem that Dos Passos was careful
to construct his trilogy with women in mind. Most
of the characters in the trilogy feel alienated—from
one another and from society—and it would be a
mistake to equate this sense with gender bias. In
fact, Dos Passos’s women generally seem more able
to handle the rigors of 20th-century life than his
men, and this leaves the trilogy open to feminist
interpretation. Dos Passos’s main concern was socio-
political, and his men and women are equally guilty
of following the pursuit of big money, much to the
peril of their personal relationships.
K. E. Birdsall
success in the U.S.A. trilogy
Throughout the U.S.A. trilogy, John Dos Passos
describes the early 20th-century American dream
via his 12 major characters; “Newsreel” passages;
and biographies of prominent figures in American
history, such as Thomas Edison, the Wright broth-
ers, Henry Ford, Rudolph Valentino, and J. P. Mor-
gan, all Americans who achieved fame and fortune.
Interestingly, however, these biographies invariably
end in the death of the subject or the decline of his
or her success. Dos Passos was illustrating that “suc-
cess,” loosely defined, usually meant “corruption” or
“unhappiness,” especially for the rich and/or famous.
The three volumes encompass three distinct
periods in American history. The 42nd Parallel
takes place before World War I, when women are
beginning to carve careers and independence for
themselves and the country is abuzz with headlines
depicting the “ignoring of [the] lower classes,” warn-
ings to traitors, and anti-German sentiments. 1919
is a stunning description of the Great War, and
the “Newsreel” passages in this volume range from
advertisements for Liberty Bonds to “Bankers of
this country, Britain, and France to safeguard foreign
investors.” The Big Money, which takes place during
the time immediately following World War I and
leads up to the beginning of the Great Depression,
features “Newsreel” passages that show the growing
labor force in the United States in the form of job
advertisements and automobile ads. The last “News-
reel” of the trilogy, Newsreel LXVIII, begins with
the headline “Wall Street Stunned,” indicating the
stock market crash of 1929. The Big Money depicts
“success” as opportunity and growth but ends with
the idea that major social change must occur for the
betterment of American culture.
Dos Passos’s glimmering satire depicts the idea
of success (at least in the traditional sense of finan-
cial gain and power in business) as detrimental to
society as a whole, causing everything from personal
disappointment to war and a national financial cri-
sis. Via his fictional characters—who frequently do
well in business but remain empty in their personal
lives, often succumbing to addictions and other
excesses before dying young—he paints a portrait
of a society so overcome by the desire for riches
that it neglects its people. Indeed, throughout the
trilogy, Dos Passos presents characters that often
become victims of their own shortsighted pursuits.
Excellent examples of this are J. Ward Moorehouse
in The 42nd Parallel, whose first wife leaves him
because of the neglect she suffers due to his desire
for success; Dick Savage in 1919, whose personal
life unravels just as he meets with business rewards;
and, perhaps most obviously, Charley Anderson in
The Big Money, whose blind and alcoholic quest for
business success causes him to leave behind loving
relationships, family, friends, and personal growth.
Charley Anderson ends alone and unhappy, and he
is dead by middle age, after getting and flaunting
the big money.
Through the eyes of these troubled characters,
Dos Passos shows that humankind cannot have it
all. Society, it would seem, must choose between
financial and personal success, and the texts depict
the latter with characters such as Mary French, who
defines herself not by how much money she has—in
fact, she often wears tattered clothing to identify
with exploited workers and lacks a warm coat for
winter—but by how much she has to contribute to
society. Through her, Dos Passos illustrates whatU.S.A. trilogy 357