Legends of the Fall

Legends of the Fall was published in 1979 and is concerned with, among other things, the inner lives of men and the nature of masculinity. More than 40 years later, does this collection still have insight to offer into the nature of masculinity? How have our perceptions of masculinity changed, and how have they remained the same?

How do the three novellas in Legends of the Fall work together to explore the theme of the societal expectations placed on men? How do they each approach the topic differently?

Harrison begins “Revenge” with a vulture’s observation of a man’s body in the desert and ends the story with a similar aerial view of the human participants. Why might Harrison have chosen to begin and end the novella this way? What is the effect on the reader and the rest of the story?