Floriane Place-Verghnes examines the work of this great Americananimator. Focusing primarily on four facets of Avery's work, the author firstconcentrates on Avery's ability to depict the American attempt both to retrieve thepast nostalgically and to catch the Zeitgeist of 1940s America, which confronts thequestions of violence and survival. She also analyzes issues of sex and gender andthe crucial role Hollywood played in reshaping the image of womanhood, reducing itto a bipolar opposition. Thirdly, she examines the comic language developed by Averywhich, although drawing on the work of the Marx Brothers and Chaplin (among others), transcended their conventions. Finally, Place-Verghnes considers Avery's place inthe history of cartoon-making technique.