History

Willie’s historical research is a central tenet of the novel, and the novel presents this research in order to highlight dissonances between American ideals and realities. The first historical vignette in the novel is told from the perspective of Marmaduke Temple, the founder of Templeton. In this chapter, Marmaduke presents an idealized version of his first arrival in the area: “Below me the lake was cupped in its hills, shimmering like a plate of glass…There was no wind in this desolate New York wilderness, and all was calm. Suddenly before me rose a vision of ghostly buildings” (12). Marmaduke presents this moment—in which he was inspired to found a town—as one of divine right and inspiration. Moreover, he depicts the land as devoid of human life, despite the later revelation that Native Americans already occupied that area. The novel eventually reveals Marmaduke’s...