Cambridge History of American Literature, Vol. 3: Prose Writing, 1860-1920 (The Cambridge History of American Literature)

Volume 3 covers a pivotal era in the formation of American identity as well as a permanent multi-faceted literary culture in the United States. Four leading scholars connect the literature with the massive expansive historical changes then underway. The narratives of Richard Brodhead, Nancy Bentley, Walter Benn Michaels and Susan L. Mizruchi constitute a rich and detailed account of American literature and culture that began to embrace a wide spectrum of cultural outsiders as well as high literature through William Dean Howells and Henry James. Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 2 THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE Volume 3: ProseWriting 1860–1920......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 6 Illustrations......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 INTRODUCTION......Page 14 THE AMERICAN LITERARY FIELD, 1860–1890......Page 22 1 The American literary field, 1860–1890......Page 24 1 Museum Realism......Page 76 2 Howells, James, and the republic of letters......Page 120 3 Women and Realist authorship......Page 150 4 Chesnutt and imperial spectacle......Page 194 5 Wharton, travel, and modernity......Page 237 6 Adams, James, Du Bois, and social thought......Page 260 1 An American tragedy, or the promise of American life......Page 298 2 The production of visibility......Page 328 3 The contracted heart......Page 361 4 Success......Page 389 1 Introduction......Page 424 2 Remembering civil war......Page 434 3 Social death and the reconstruction of slavery......Page 467 4 Cosmopolitan variations......Page 505 5 Native-American sacrifice in an age of progress......Page 548 6 Marketing culture......Page 581 7 Varieties of work......Page 629 8 Corporate America......Page 679 9 Realist utopias......Page 723 CHRONOLOGY 1860–1920......Page 754 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 792 Cover 1 Frontmatter 2 THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE Volume 3: ProseWriting 1860–1920 4 CONTENTS 6 Illustrations 8 Acknowledgments 10 INTRODUCTION 14 THE AMERICAN LITERARY FIELD, 1860–1890 22 1 The American literary field, 1860–1890 24 LITERARY FORMS AND MASS CULTURE, 1870–1920 76 1 Museum Realism 76 2 Howells, James, and the republic of letters 120 3 Women and Realist authorship 150 4 Chesnutt and imperial spectacle 194 5 Wharton, travel, and modernity 237 6 Adams, James, Du Bois, and social thought 260 PROMISES OF AMERICAN LIFE, 1880–1920 298 1 An American tragedy, or the promise of American life 298 2 The production of visibility 328 3 The contracted heart 361 4 Success 389 BECOMING MULTICULTURAL: CULTURE, ECONOMY, AND THE NOVEL, 1860–1920 424 1 Introduction 424 2 Remembering civil war 434 3 Social death and the reconstruction of slavery 467 4 Cosmopolitan variations 505 5 Native-American sacrifice in an age of progress 548 6 Marketing culture 581 7 Varieties of work 629 8 Corporate America 679 9 Realist utopias 723 CHRONOLOGY 1860–1920 754 BIBLIOGRAPHY 792 0521301076,9780521301077 Cambridge University Press This volume covers a pivotal era in the formation of American identity. Four leading scholars connect the literature with the massive historical changes then underway. Richard Brodhead describes the foundation of a permanent literary culture in America. Nancy Bentley locates the origins of nineteenth century Realism in an elite culture's responses to an emergent mass culture, embracing high literature (writers like William Dean Howells and Henry James) as well as a wide spectrum of cultural outsiders: African Americans, women, and Native Americans. Walter Benn Michaels emphasizes the critical role that turn-of-the-century fiction played in the re-evaluation of the individual at the advent of modern bureaucracy. Susan L. Mizruchi analyzes the literary responses to a new national heterogeneity that helped shape the multicultural future of modern America. Together, these narratives constitute the richest, most detailed account to date of American literature and culture between 1860 and 1920 Multi-volume History Of American Literature. V. 1. 1590-1820 -- V. 2. Prose Writing, 1820-1865 -- V. 3. Prose Writing, 1860-1920 -- V. 4. Nineteenth-century Poetry, 1800-1910 -- V. 5. Poetry And Criticism, 1900-1950 -- V. 6. Prose Writing, 1910-1950 -- V. 7. Prose Writing, 1940-1990 -- V. 8. Poetry And Criticism, 1940-1995. General Editor, Sacvan Bercovitch ; Associate Editor, Cyrus R.k. Patell. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. This multi-volume History marks a new beginning in the study of American literature.