Genesis
In the forward to the book, Oates states that for a large part, them is based upon a real family. "Maureen Wendall" contacted Oates by mail after she had failed a college course she took, and these letters are, presumably, recreated verbatim in the novel about two-thirds through the text. Stating 'the novel practically wrote itself,' Oates organized and fictionalized the story, but at certain points revised the text to relay "Maureen Wendall's" words verbatim. Oates also noted rather than sensationalizing the story of the Wendalls to make slum life more lurid, she actually softened some sections so that it would not overwhelm the reader. She commented that the confessional aspect was, at least temporarily, extremely therapeutic to "Maureen Wendall" and that all the family members were still living.
In an addendum to the Afterword, Oates clarifies that this "realist" element was a literary device: all characters and events are entirely fictional. Maureen's letters were written by Oates, and the "Miss Oates" to whom the letters are written is also a fictional character. At the time (1962-1967), Oates went by Joyce Smith
Read more about this topic: Them (novel)
Famous quotes containing the word genesis:
“If only he would not pity us so much,
Weaken our fate, relieve us of woe both great
And small, a constant fellow of destiny,
A too, too human god, self-pity’s kin
And uncourageous genesis . . .”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“Nature centres into balls,
And her proud ephemerals,
Fast to surface and outside,
Scan the profile of the sphere;
Knew they what that signified,
A new genesis were here.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”
—Bible: Hebrew Genesis 1:29.
But in a later context, God told the disgraced Adam, “and thou shalt eat the herb of the field” (Genesis 3:18)