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Heading South, Looking North Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Heading South, Looking North


Ariel Dorfman, the author of "Death and the Maiden" and "How to Read Donald Duck," was born in Argentina but taken by his parents to New York City as a young child. Pushed out of the U.S. by McCarthyism for their socialist leanings, his family resettled in Chile. He studied at Berkeley and now teaches at Duke. But most of the book centers on his childhood and early adulthood in Chile. Dorfman was named Vladimiro by his father in admiration of Lenin, but as a boy he fought to reject Spanish, then English, then back again -- torn between two languages -- and adopted the first name Edward, then his middle name Ariel. (His ethnic background is also Jewish.) After the socialist government of Salvador Allende ascended to power in Chile, Dorfman was heavily involved. Then came the CIA-backed coup in which Allende and many of his colleagues were killed, and the author survived by a series of lucky chances and help. The book describes Dorfman's love-hate relationship with the U.S. and the English language.
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The review of this Book prepared by David Loftus



Chapter Analysis of Heading South, Looking North

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Plot & Themes

Political/social rights fight    -   Yes Plotlet:    -   people who want communism Period of greatest activity?    -   1950+

Subject of Biography

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   writer Ethnicity    -   Hispanic/Latinic Nationality    -   Central/South American

Setting

How much descriptions of surroundings?    -   3 () United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Northeast The Americas (not US):    -   Yes The Americas:    -   South City?    -   Yes City:    -   New York    -   dangerous    -   wealthy Misc setting    -   Fancy Mansion    -   prison Century:    -   1960's-1970's

Writing Style

Book makes you feel?    -   thoughtful Pictures/Illustrations?    -   None How much dialogue in bio?    -   significantly more descript than dialog

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Ariel Dorfman Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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