In E. L. Doctorow's The Book of Daniel (1971), Daniel Isaccson Lewin, whose parents were executed as spies in 1954, is a graduate student at Columbia University. The time is 1967, when the campus protest movement is nearing its peak.

Rather than working to complete his doctoral dissertation in his library carrel, Daniel attempts to quell his inner rage over the fate of both his parents and his younger sister, now suffering from mental illness, by trying to discover the truth about the case. After reading all the books and available records on the trial, he interviews the widow of his parents' defense attorney and his foster parents. Descriptions of the interviews are interspersed with his childhood experiences before and during his parents' imprisonment and execution. Another narrative feature of the novel are short accounts of the cultural and political atmosphere of the early 1950s. Near the end of the novel, Daniel flies to California to interview Selig Mindish, the friend of his parents, whose testimony convicted them. He meets Mindish in Disneyland, but the old man, completely senile, can only respond to Daniel by kissing him.

Daniel concludes his account with the death of his sister. As he finishes his story, student rebels invade the library to "liberate" it. This final ironic note is consistent with the bitter, angry tone of the novel, but it also suggests an underlying conflict within Daniel about his parents' political commitment and the price that he and his sister paid for it.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on American Literature at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to American Literature and other relevant topics.