The Epic of the Wheat
Quick Summary
The Epic of the Wheat was an unfinished trilogy by American novelist Frank Norris. The trilogy aimed to explore the entire lifecycle of American wheat, from its production to its distribution and consumption.
The first published novel in the series was The Octopus (1901), subtitled A Story of California. This novel depicted the conflict between California wheat farmers and the monopolistic Pacific and Southwestern Railroad. Norris utilized literary naturalism to highlight themes of environmental determinism and social justice.12
The second planned novel, The Pit (1903), was intended to focus on wheat speculation in Chicago. The third, Wolf, was to illustrate wheat relieving famine in Europe, but remained unwritten at Norris's death.2
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