The Great American Novel

Developing Classical Thinkers

For American writers, there is something of a quest in American literature to write the great American novel. Such a work would typify the American experience in the same way Homer's epics or Virgil's "Aeneid" did for ancient Greece and Rome, respectively. And while there are many great American novels, there is not one unquestioned work that earns this distinguished honor.
Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and more have written works commonly lauded as the "great American novel," but have they gotten there? Is the issue settled? What is the great American novel?
For English teachers, we have the same quest to, at least, identify such a work. In this episode of DCT, Winston Brady speaks with literature teachers Ali Graziosi, Christina Salinas, and Chelsea Wagenaar, and head of classical education Matt Ogle. Each participant makes a pitch for the book they think is the "Great American novel" and why, along with the criteria as to why they picked that work and not others.
What do you think of our criteria? Or of our picks? Did we leave any works out? Be sure to let us in the comments section on your favorite podcasting platform.