Martin Smollich

Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities as a Stylistic Triumph Martin Smollich

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 Wolfe's 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 Wolfe's 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 Wolfe's idiosyncrasies. The strengths and weaknesses of Wolfe's style are summed up in the conclusion.