The title of Oates’s novel emphasizes the importance of its setting to the novel’s action and themes. The fact that most readers will assume that the title refers to the Niagara Falls is itself indicative of the significance of this natural landmark in the national mythos—even though it is as much a Canadian as a U.S. landmark. In the first three-quarters of the nineteenth century, the Niagara Falls were largely known through the works of painters and writers, who emphasized the other-worldly aspects of the landscape—its mystical and mythical force. The paintings, however, could only hint at much of the sensory impact of the falls, and it was left to writers to try to convey the almost overwhelming auditory and tactile sensations that compounded the falls’ visual power. By the…
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Citation: Kich, Martin. "The Falls". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 August 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16600, accessed 23 November 2024.]
