The Golden Age Summary
Gore Vidal

The Golden Age Summary

Ghosts are mentioned on numerous occasions and are used for one particular metaphor in the novel. The difference between the self that is out for the public to see and the self that is real and working behind the curtain is a major theme that runs throughout the book. Caroline is a former movie actress who views her life in Hollywood and the films she created as a past life, and the images up on the screen as a ghost of her real self. Her public persona had another name, Emma Traxler, and existed at a different time. This other persona still haunts her from time to time, especially when she returns to Los Angeles, and also when she interacts with her former lover and film production company partner, Timothy X. Farrell. Timothy makes documentaries, and it is partially through his eyes that we see that the public...

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