I’m honestly not sure if it could be considered a great American novel or not. It has some aspects of a Great American Novel but I keep debating with myself if is is or isn’t. It has some of the aspects but they aren’t considerably strong aspects.
The book was written by an American author, Betty Smith. There is also character development throughout the story. The main character, Francie, goes from being innocent to having to face the harsh realities of the world when her family is hit by tragedy. It contains content from just before The Great Depression and after it. The book also has motifs and a tone that keeps you engaged throughout the book. There are things in the book that remain relevant like social status and discrimination.
It doesn’t really have significance to an important event as it skips over The Great Depression.
Well I guess after breaking it down like that I would consider it a Great American Novel.
Great American Novels 2020 