Each of the 18 essays in this volume focuses on a single work of American literature. Written in clear, jargon-free style by college and university professors, each explores the nuances of the work -- themes, characterization, use of language -- enabling the student to comprehend, interpret and write about the classics. Volume 2 covers Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy," Sarah Orne Jewett's "The Country of the Pointed Firs," Saul Bellow's "Herzog," F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender Is the Night," and "The Great Gatsby," Edith Warton's "Ethan Frome," Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man," Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio" and others. Volumes also feature timelines, author chronologies, bibliographies with further reading suggestions and cumulative indexes.