Tom Wolfes "The Bonfire of the Vanities" as a Stylistic Triumph

Examination Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,4, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, language: English, abstract: This is a study of Tom Wolfes unique prose style. The focus is on his most successful novel "The Bonfire of the Vanities", published in 1987. An analysis of journalistic, traditional and satiric influences on Wolfes writing is supplemented by the systematic dissection of key chapters. Several sections serve as examples of the prose style of important American novelists in order to highlight Wolfes idiosyncrasies. The strengths and weaknesses of Wolfes style are summed up in the conclusion.