Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
The Corrections reads like Manifest Destiny in reverse. The younger Lambert generation—Gary, Chip, and Denise—have fled to the East Coast in search of high-minded things, while their parents cl...
What's Up With the Title?
Understand the term the corrections and you'll understand The Corrections—it's as simple as that.The phrase—like many in the novel—is rooted in financial terminology. It's a play off the conc...
What's Up With the Ending?
Now didn't that ending leave you with the warm fuzzies? No? More like the heebie-jeebies, you say? Well, to each their own.Let's break things down before we go any further:After being diagnosed wit...
Tough-o-Meter
Besides its experimental first chapter, The Corrections tells a pretty straightforward story. Franzen writes in an engaging matter that, while certainly highbrow, isn't difficult to understand. Tha...