On Hills Like Gods Together
Date
2013-09-09
Authors
Ivey, Jay
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Abstract
This thesis is a novel concerning the disappearance of a prominent Atlanta real estate czar during the 2008 financial meltdown. His privileged Classicist stepson, Tyler, embarks on a quest to learn the truth about why this man married his mother, why he left, and where he’s gone; as a result, Tyler is unwittingly embroiled in the intrigue of calculating hedge fund managers, corrupt bankers, and bumbling federal regulators, even as his affluent lifestyle falls apart. Mimicking Plutarch’s Parallel Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, Tyler interweaves his account with a historical story about Tiberius Gracchus, the fatherless heir to a wealthy family, who grows to reject the values of his own class and fights for the rights of the poor during Rome’s greatest crisis of land speculation. Together, these juxtaposed narratives explore such themes as the dangers of deluding ourselves during times of ostensible prosperity and the destructive potential of systemic heedlessness.
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Keywords
2008 Financial Crisis, Tiberius Gracchus, Atlanta, Parallel Narrative, Real estate, Roman history