"World's End is a complex historical cycle, flavored with an original pungency, set in the Old Dutch country of New York's Hudson Valley."(Eder 3) In the book World's End by T. Coraghessan Boyle, the use of knowledge about history is very important. T. Coraghessan Boyle is a native of Peekskill, New York. The towns' name, Peterskill, where the book revolves around was created from his hometown. The author expands his knowledge of history and wrote this story about it. He is very familiar with the Dutch countryside of New York. He uses three time settings, 1680's, 1720's, and the 1960's. In these time settings he tells a story about the history of the families of the Van Brunts, Van Warts and the Kitchawank Indians. The histories of the families reenact themselves on the time frames found later on in the novel. They all play their roles within 300 years.
             In 1663, the first Van Brunt in America arrives in what is not yet Peterskill, and becomes a tenant farmer on lands owned by the Dutch patroon, the first Van Wart. The constant fights between the Kitchawank Indians and the Van Brunts were common. When people from Europe started to move to America, they forced the Indians to move away from their land. This inner tension always existed between them. Around the 1720's Wouter Van Brunt had made fun of Jemery Mohonk, who was a half Indian because he was challenging the powers of the Van Warts house, which lead to Jeremy's hanging.
             The closest time frame is the one in the 1960's, where we meet Walter Van Brunt, a 22 yr old man who has lost his mind ever since the accident. He plays an important role in this novel, since basically all of it revolves around his mind. It had all started on his 22nd birthday. Influenced by alcohol and drugs, he takes a swim in the Hudson River with Mardi, the wealthy daughter of the Van Warts.
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