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Billy Bathgate
E.L. Doctorow Book Review

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Plot Summary of Billy Bathgate
"The story of a teenage boy from New York who idolizes the notorious Dutch Schultz and delves somewhat into Dutch's history and associates, but mainly tells the story straight and intensely from Billy's point of view, from disappointment to excitement, sex and school and orphans, the dilapidation of the neighborhood where he grew up, and society in general."
Sarrah, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Billy Bathgate
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1900-1920's
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Age group of kid(s) in story: - grade school
Parents/lack of parents problem? - Dada gone
Wild kid(s)? - committing crimes
Loving/sexing? - guy chasing

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - thief/con artist
Age: - a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
Water? Yes
Water: - peddle boat - drowning
City? Yes
City: - New York - dangerous - rude people
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee - dumb Rednecks, like Gomer Pyle

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - impregnation/reproduction - descript. of female anat. (the big B's)
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Billy Bathgate
Under the wheel by Hermann Hesse
Memories of a Cherry Blossom Tree by Fletcher Johnson Jr.
The Reivers by William Faulkner
Whisper Upon the Water by Connie Vines
Young Lonigan by James T. Farrell


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