This article explores how the family chronicle genre developed

during the twentieth century and how it was transformed in the works

of American writer Irwin Shaw, especially in Rich Man, Poor Man

(1970) and Beggar man, Thief (1977). Traditionally, the family

chronicle was associated with European authors such as John

Galsworthy and Thomas Mann, who used it to show how individuals

and society influence each other across several generations. Shaw

reinterprets this genre in the moral and social context of post-war

America, revealing how capitalist materialism weakens moral values

and personal integrity. His novels demonstrate that family

relationships reflect the nation’s identity and historical awareness. By

comparing Shaw’s approach with that of European predecessors and

placing his work within the broader context of Western realism, moral

philosophy, and American social criticism, this study highlights

Shaw’s unique contribution to the modern family chronicle. Through

close textual analysis, historical context, and the theories of Lukács,

Bakhtin, and Frye, it argues that Shaw’s moral realism transforms the

traditional chronicle into a deep exploration of conscience, social

pressure, and endurance. Ultimately, Shaw’s fiction shows that the

family remains a powerful moral and cultural symbol in twentieth-

century American life.