Title
A Question Of Character: Scientific Racism And The Genres Of American Fiction, 18921912 (Studies In American Literary Realism A,Used
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Review'[The] Discussions Of Twain, Howells, Chesnutt, And Johnson . . . Lucidly Illustrate The Ways That Four Of Our Major Writers Struggled To Create Literary Forms Enabling Them Not Only To Reflect But Also To Intervene In Contemporary Racial Debates, And In The Process To Begin Shifting The Generic Boundaries Of American Literature.'American Literary Realism'[A Question Of Character] Fills In Significant Gaps In The Critical Discourse About Genre, Race, And Science At The Turn Of The Century. . . . [The] Introduction And First Chapter Are Extremely Useful For Explicating How Racial Discourse In Realism And Sentimentalism Helps Determine Genre. . . . [This Book] Should Be Required Reading For Scholars Interested In Early Theories About Scientific Racism.'Choiceproduct Descriptionboeckmann Links Character, Literary Genre, And Science, Revealing How Major Literary Works Both Contributed To And Disrupted The Construction Of Race In Turnofthecentury America.In A Question Of Character, Cathy Boeckmann Establishes A Strong Link Between Racial Questions And The Development Of Literary Traditions At The End Of The 19Th Century In America. This Period Saw The Rise Of 'Scientific Racism,' Which Claimed That The Races Were Distinguished Not Solely By Exterior Appearance But Also By A Set Of Inherited Character Traits. As Boeckmann Explains, This Emphasis On Character Meant That Race Was Not Only A Thematic Concern In The Literature Of The Period But Also A Generic Or Formal One As Well.Boeckmann Explores The Intersections Between Race And Literary History By Tracing The Language Of Character Through Both Scientific And Literary Writing. Nineteenthcentury Pseudosciences Such As Phrenology And Physiognomy Had A Vocabulary For Discussing Racial Character That Overlapped Conceptually With The Conventions For Portraying Race In Literature. Through Close Readings Of Novels By Thomas Dixon, Mark Twain, William Dean Howells, Charles Chesnutt, And James Weldon Johnsoneach Of Which Deals With A Black Character 'Passing' As Whiteboeckmann Shows How This Emphasis On Character Relates To The Shift From Romantic And Sentimental Fiction To Realism. Because Each Of These Genres Had Very Specific Conventions Regarding The Representation Of Character, Genres Often Dictated How Races Could Be Depicted.About The Authorcatherine Ann Boeckmann,An Independent Scholar, Is Communication Specialist At Mckinsey & Company In Atlanta.
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- Q: What is the main focus of 'A Question of Character'? A: The book examines the link between character, literary genre, and scientific racism in American fiction from 1892 to 1912, highlighting how these elements influenced the construction of race in literature.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author of 'A Question of Character' is Cathy Boeckmann.
- Q: What literary works are analyzed in this book? A: The book includes close readings of novels by Thomas Dixon, Mark Twain, William Dean Howells, Charles Chesnutt, and James Weldon Johnson.
- Q: What is the significance of character in the context of this book? A: Character is shown as a crucial aspect that intersects with racial representation in literature, influencing both themes and genre conventions during the turn of the century.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: This edition of 'A Question of Character' is a hardcover.
- Q: How many pages does the book contain? A: The book has a total of 248 pages.
- Q: When was 'A Question of Character' published? A: The book was published on February 8, 2000.
- Q: What condition is the used book in? A: The used book is described as being in good condition.
- Q: What category does this book fall under? A: The book is categorized under 'Movements & Periods' in literary studies.
- Q: Is this book part of a series? A: Yes, 'A Question of Character' is part of the 'Studies in American Literary Realism and Naturalism' series.