James purdy purdy james vol 4 essay

As a result of his tragic view of humankind, Purdy’s fiction often contains unpleasant, violent, even repellent actions by his characters.

In an interview in 1978, Purdy said: I think that is the universal human tragedy. We never become what we could be. I believe life is tragic. It’smy view that nothing ever solves anything.Ohyes, life is full of many joys . . . but it’s essentially tragic because man is imperfect.Hecan’t find solutions by his very nature.

James Purdy (July 17, 1914 – March 13, 2009) is one of the more independent, unusual, and stylistically unique of American writers, since his fiction—novels, plays, and short stories—maintains a dark vision of American life while stating that vision in a literary voice unlike any other American writer.