Social Reform, Taste, and the Construction of Virtue in American Literature, 1870-1910

Download or read book Social Reform, Taste, and the Construction of Virtue in American Literature, 1870-1910 written by Janice H. Koistinen-Harris and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Koistinen-Harris's study of the relationship between literature, taste/aesthetics, and social reform in America at the turn of the twentieth century groups together subjects which scholars have not commonly linked with one another. Particularly, she has adopted an innovative way of thinking about reform writing, focusing not on what is being said about needy groups but instead on what the writing says to the potential reformers to whom it is addressed. Preface; Janice Koistinen-Harris's study of the relationship between literature, taste/aesthetics, and social reform in America at the turn of the twentieth century groups together subjects which scholars have not commonly linked with one another. In particular, Koistinen-Harris has adopted an innovative way of thinking about reform writing, focusing not on what is being said about needy groups but instead on what the writing says to the potential reformers to whom it is addressed. She thus establishes an important tie between thought and social action during an era which dramatically altered the course of American history. This book, then, fills an important gap at the junction between literary and historical scholarship. The li