Grounded in theoretical studies of postmodern and narrative ethics this book proposes the need
for a re-examination of E. L. Doctorow's work from an ethical perspective. Through in-depth
analyses of previously neglected intertexts it questions the classification of his fiction as
an expression of postmodern skepticism. Seven of Doctorow's most widely acclaimed novels are
dealt with in chronological order tracing his finely tuned characterizations of the human
quest for narrative truth. Growing out of the early protagonists' vague sense of moral
consciousness is their recognition of an obligation to interpret signs from and for the Other.
Through logical deliberation and close reading the study gradually identifies the narrative
voice of the post-modern gnostic.
