What is most important to realize is the fact that Thomas Berger’s satire made headway in the fiction genre. For one thing, his writing focused on the myths of society. Also, as an American novelist, he mocked typical love. Notably, Berger wrote about the Western genre of fiction leading to his most popular work Little Big Man. Critics and readers both admired his honesty in his work. Thus, the retelling of history and the bigger myths surrounding it. In his other books, the literary goal was to create panic and fear in the middle-class lifestyle. That is to say, serving in the medical corps during World War Two could have influenced his writing.
Little Big Man
As a matter of fact, this book is historical fiction. However, being raised by Native Americans when white people oppressed them created an internal conflict for the main character. Not only was this book satirical, but it also mocked the stereotypical genre of western fiction. For example, the satire in this book begins with the main character. In other words, when the main character isn’t the ideal protagonist, this mocks traditional western fiction. Yet, with documents and narratives, the story reads like a history book. Therefore, the conflict between the white and Native American people led to the main character feeling lost in both worlds.
“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.”
Bookstr
This quote is a direct reference to the fact that ignorance is what leads to issues. In detail, his satire relates back to this idea because he feels that uneducated people fear what they do not understand. After all, in a few of his books, his goal was to make the middle class afraid of the government in case it led to anarchy. Due to much of his writing relating back to America, Berger responds through his storytelling. Therefore, the books he writes are just examples of what could happen and how it relates back to people on an individual level.
Neighbors
Despite the neighbors living close together on a dead-end street, the scene leads to emotional detachment. After all, Berger is commenting on the way Guerilla Warfare made these characters enemies. For fear of losing himself, Earl Keese, the main character, wants his life to return to normal. However, he is met with feelings of panic and distrust of everyone around him. Thus, this is the irony that Berger is mocking. As time goes on, the actions of aggression continue. Significantly, this book continues to retell the same comic joke over and over again to make fun of the acts of anger.
Regiment of Women
With attention to this book, the main theme is the matriarchal society. In this case, society is overrun by feminism as young boys become oppressed. Accordingly, Berger is mocking the injustice women face in a patriarchal society and how if roles were reversed it would have become an issue. In effect, a boy named George Cornell has to wear sexism instead. Including his coworker, they share their experiences of female bosses and gender norms that have created an internal conflict for the men. To explain, for wearing women’s clothes George Cornell became a criminal and had to find a way out.
In conclusion, these are a few examples of Thomas Berger’s satire. Whether it was in quotes or in his books, each example proves how ironic people can be. Then for the Western genre as a whole, Berger focused strictly on American ways of living and values. Also, the so-called myths in society were stereotypes. Thus, these opposing ideas only applied to specific groups of people. In the long run, his satire will continue to be a turning point in Western fiction. As has been noted in the many stories and examples within the books he’s written and the experiences he shares.