Tropic of Cancer

Write an essay in which you argue that Tropic of Cancer either is or is not “obscene.” Use the legal definition of “obscenity” and provide direct evidence from the text to support your position.

In her preface to Tropic of Cancer, Miller’s longtime friend and lover Anaïs Nin writes of the novel, “The book is sustained on its own axis by the pure flux and rotation of events. Just as there is no central point, so also there is no question of heroism or of struggle since there is no question of will, but only an obedience to flow” (xxxii). Analyze the novel using Nin’s proclamation as a starting point. Think about what she might mean by “axis” and “rotation of events” and consider what a text might look like without a “central point.”

Analyze Henry’s feelings about America as they develop throughout the novel. What does he seem to like and dislike about America? Do you think he wants to return? Cite evidence from the text to support your view.