"The Octopus"

Paper Summary:

The paper examines "The Octopus" and describes the lifestyle and perspective of the farmers who were threatened by a take-over of all they had by the ever-expanding railroad companies of the Pacific and Southwestern Railroads. The paper discusses how Norris contrasts the pure love of the land of the farmers to the soulless conglomerate of the railroad enterprise, the inhuman octopus of the title.

From the Paper:

"Read in light of today's political environment, Frank Norris's The Octopus seems like an unusually prescient view of American capitalism and corruption, specifically in the railroad industry. However, it could seemingly take place anywhere, even though its characters and historical setting is particular to the late 19th century period of robber baron capitalism. By using a narrative, fictional plot, and weaving elements of romantic and dime store novel Western plots and characters, the story uses the fictional medium of art to personalize its characters' struggles, and makes the reader care intimately about the lives of the characters it depicts."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Norris, Frank. The Octopus. Penguin Classics, 1994.

More papers on "The Octopus":

• Book Review # 91427 : "Farm Life: "The Octopus" and "O Pioneer"
• Essay # 39915 : "The Octopus"
• Essay # 62197 : "The Octopus"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: