The three major themes in American literature reflect three essential themes in Christian thought: the individual's search for belonging in the midst of life's uncertainties; his search for the absolute in a relativistic world; and the retelling of an ancient there in narrative form wherever possible, e.g. the Synoptic Gospels. The author observes a co-structural relationship between American literature and biblical tradition, in their use of literary concepts, archetypes, themes, images and allusions, and even in rhetorical devices.