James Dickey, Deliverance

Michael J. Meyer (DePaul University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1970

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Deliverance

, James Dickey’s powerful novel of courage and fortitude in the face of sexual decadence and violence, is set in the last remnants of the Appalachian wilderness where four friends decide to go canoeing in an attempt to prove that men can still master Nature single-handedly and conquer any threats she might pose. Induced to join the group by his envy of Lewis Medlock, the survivalist organizer of the trip, Ed Gentry, is joined by Drew Ballinger, a conscientious family man, and by Bobby Trippe, a soft denizen of sales meetings and country clubs; unfortunately, none of the three are prepared for the challenges they will face in the primitive surroundings they are going to traverse. Lured by the beauty of a natural scene which will soon disappear due to the construction of a…

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1533 words

Citation: Meyer, Michael J.. "Deliverance". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 November 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=24355, accessed 07 May 2024.]

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