Entertainment and Not Only in Jonathan Franzen’s “Crossroads”

Abstract

Abstract This article is aiming at demonstrating that Jonathan Franzen’s sixth novel “Crossroads”, while essentially being a realist depiction of an American family’s way of living in the early seventies, is primarily meant to entertain the reader. It endeavors to give an answer to the question of what makes Franzen’s fiction enjoyable by focusing on plot, characters, and multiple points of view. In doing so, the final take is that the author unfolds a tale of morality, humaneness, and kindness. Apart from masterfully depicting the American realities, this long fictional work does not only entertain the readers, but it also changes them.