A Companion to American Fiction 1865 - 1914

A Companion to American Fiction, 1865-1914 is a groundbreaking collection of essays written by leading critics for a wide audience of scholars, students, and interested general readers. An exceptionally broad-ranging Companion to the study of American fiction of the post-civil war period and the early twentieth century. Contains 29 essays written by top scholars in the field. Each essay presents a synthesis of the best scholarly perspectives and offers an original perspective of its own. Divided into sections on historical traditions and genres, contexts and themes, and major authors. Covers a mixture of canonical and the non-canonical themes, authors, literatures, and critical approaches. Treats innovative topics, such as ecological literature and ecocriticism, children's literature, and the influence of Darwin on fiction. Written in clear, understandable, jargon-free English, suitable for the non-specialist.

List of Illustrations. Notes on Contributors. Acknowledgments. Editors' Introduction: Robert Paul Lamb and G. R. Thompson. Part I: Historical Traditions and Genres. 1. The Practice and Promotion of American Literary Realism: Nancy Glazener (University of Pittsburgh). 2. Excitement and Consciousness in the Romance Tradition: William J. Scheick (University of Texas, Austin). 3. The Sentimental and Domestic Traditions, 1865-1900: Gregg Camfield (University of the Pacific). 4. Morality, Modernity, and "Malarial Restlessness": American Realism in Its Anglo-European Contexts: Winfried Fluck (University of Berlin). 5. American Literary Naturalism: Christophe Den Tandt (Free University, Brussels). 6. American Regionalism: Local Color, National Identity, and Global Imperative: June Howard (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor). 7. Women Authors and the Roots of American Modernism: Linda Wagner-Martin (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill). 8. The Short Story and the Short Story Sequence, 1865-1914: J. Gerald Kennedy (Louisiana State University). Part II: Contexts and Themes. 9. Ecological Narrative and Nature Writing: S. K. Robisch (Purdue University, West Lafayette). 10. "The Frontier Story": The Violence of Literary History: Christine Bold (University of Guelph). 11. Native American Narratives: Resistance and Survivance: Gerald Vizenor (University of California, Berkeley). 12. Representing the Civil War and Reconstruction: From Uncle Tom to Uncle Remus: Kathleen Diffley (University of Iowa). 13. Engendering the Canon: Women's Narratives, 1865-1914: Grace Farrell (Butler University). 14. Confronting the Crisis: African American Narratives: Dickson D. Bruce, Jr. (University of California, Irvine). 15. Fiction's Many Cities: Sidney H. Bremer (University of Wisconsin, Marinette). 16. Mapping the Culture of Abundance: Literary Narratives and Consumer Culture: Sarah Way Sherman (University of New Hampshire). 17. Secrets of the Master's Deed Box: Narrative and Class: Christopher P. Wilson (Boston College). 18. "Ethnic Realism": Robert M. Dowling (Central Connecticut State University). 19. Darwin, Science, and Narrative: Bert Bender (Arizona State University). 20. Writing in the "Vulgar Tongue": Law and American Narrative: William E. Moddelmog (Office of Legislative Counsel, State of California). 21. Planning Utopia: Thomas Peyser (Randolph-Macon College). 22. American Children's Narrative as Social Criticism, 1865-1914: Gwen Athene Tarbox (Western Michigan University). Part III: Major Authors. 23. An Idea of Order at Concord: Soul and Society in the Mind of Louisa May Alcott: John Matteson (John Jay College, City University of New York). 24. America Can Break Your Heart: On the Significance of Mark Twain: Robert Paul Lamb (Purdue University, West Lafayette). 25. William Dean Howells and the Bourgeois Quotidian: Affection, Skepticism, Disillusion: Michael Anesko (Pennsylvania State University). 26. Henry James in a New Century: John Carlos Rowe (University of Southern California). 27. Toward a Modernist Aesthetic: The Literary Legacy of Edith Wharton: Candace Waid (University of California, Santa Barbara) and Clare Colquitt (San Diego State University). 28. Sensations of Style: The Literary Realism of Stephen Crane: William E. Cain (Wellesley College). 29. Theodore Dreiser and the Force of the Personal: Clare Virginia Eby (University of Connecticut, Hartford). Index