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The Book of Daniel Study Guide

by E. L. Doctorow

The Book of Daniel study guide contains a biography of E. L. Doctorow, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

The Book of Daniel is narrated by Daniel Isaacson, the son of famed liberal parents who were executed by the American government on a conviction of espionage. The Isaacsons are modeled after the real-life couple, the Rosenbergs, whose 1953 conviction and electrocution captured the public’s interest and has since become a seminal example of how the anxieties, fears, and prejudices during the Cold War era resulted in brutally oppressive measures against its citizens. Daniel is a graduate student at Columbia University in 1967; the narrative that unfolds in The Book of Daniel is actually his dissertation which he plans to submit to his advisor upon completion. The narrative is comprised of many different styles of content: the contemporary…

Read the full The Book of Daniel Summary

• The Book of Daniel Summary
• About The Book of Daniel
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Quotes and Analysis
• Summary and Analysis of Start of Book One: Memorial Day - “Fire Sale! Everything Must Go!”
• Summary and Analysis of “Fire Sale! Everything Must Go!” – “A Note to the Reader”
• Summary and Analysis of “A Note to the Reader” - "Several Explanations"
• Summary and Analysis of “Several Explanations” – End of Book One
• Summary and Analysis of Start of Book Two: Halloween – “The Isaacsons are arrested for conspiring to give the secret of television to the Soviet Union…”
• Summary and Analysis of “The Isaacsons are arrested for conspiring to give the secret of television to the Soviet Union…” – "Sternlicht Rapping"
• Summary and Analysis of “Sternlicht Rapping” – “Alone in the Cold War with Franny and Zooey”
• Summary and Analysis of “Alone in the Cold War with Franny and Zooey” – End of Book Two
• Summary and Analysis of Start of Book Three: Starfish – “Beth David Synagogue”
• Summary and Analysis of “Beth David Synagogue” – “om om om omm omm omm omm om om ommmmmm”
• Summary and Analysis of “om om om omm omm omm omm om om ommmmmm” – “The Truman Doctrine will not be announced as a policy…”
• Summary and Analysis of “The Truman Doctrine will not be announced as a policy…” – End of Book Three
• Summary and Analysis of Start of Book Four: Christmas – “Disneyland at Christmas”
• Summary and Analysis of “Disneyland at Christmas” – End of Book Four
• The Yippies
• Related Links on The Book of Daniel
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 5
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• The Book of Daniel: Major Themes
• The Book of Daniel: Essays
• The Book of Daniel: Questions
• The Book of Daniel: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• E. L. Doctorow: Biography