A Bill of Rites, a Bill of Wrongs, a Bill of Goods

by Wright Morris

First published 1980

Wright Morris presents three interwoven narratives that examine the contradictions of American life in 1980. The stories follow different characters as they navigate the gap between ideals and reality in their daily lives. Each tale reveals how people struggle with competing demands of rights, responsibilities, and material desires. Morris shows characters making difficult choices when personal freedoms conflict with social obligations. The book examines how Americans balance individual liberty with community needs. Through these ordinary people facing common dilemmas, Morris captures the tension between what people believe they deserve, what they owe others, and what they actually receive. The three stories connect to form a larger picture of a society wrestling with its own promises and failures.

Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, contemporary, 21st-century

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: competing-demands, ordinary-people

Setting: America

Period: 1980s

176 pages · Paperback · Univ of Nebraska Pr

More by Wright Morris

• Plains Song
• Ceremony in Lone Tree
• Love Among the Cannibals
• The Field of Vision
• The Huge Season
• Structures and Artifacts
• Home Place
• The Deep Sleep

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