Title
The Uses of Variety: Modern Americanism and the Quest for National Distinctiveness,Used
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The turn of the last century, amid the excesses of the Gilded Age, variety became a key notion for Americansa sign of national progress and development, reassurance that the modern nation would not fall into monotonous dullness or disorderly chaos. Carrie Tirado Bramen pursues this idea through the works of a wide range of regional and cosmopolitan writers, journalists, theologians, and politicians who rewrote the narrative of American exceptionalism through a celebration of variety. Exploring cultural and institutional spheres ranging from intraurban walking tours in popular magazines to the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago, she shows how the rhetoric of variety became naturalized and nationalized as quintessentially American and inherently democratic. By focusing on the uses of the term in the work of William James, Anna Julia Cooper, W. E. B. Du Bois, Hamlin Garland, and Wong Chin Foo, among many others, Bramen reveals how the perceived innocence and goodness of variety were used to construct contradictory and mutually exclusive visions of modern Americanism.Bramen's innovation is to look at the debates of a century ago that established diversity as the distinctive feature of U.S. culture. In the latenineteenthcentury conception, which emphasized the openness of variety while at the same time acknowledging its limits, she finds a useful corrective to the contemporary tendency to celebrate the United States as a postmodern melange or a carnivalesque utopia of hybridity and difference.
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- Q: What is the main theme of 'The Uses of Variety'? A: The main theme of 'The Uses of Variety' is the exploration of how the concept of variety has shaped American identity and exceptionalism, emphasizing its role in cultural and institutional narratives.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author of 'The Uses of Variety' is Carrie Tirado Bramen.
- Q: What type of book is 'The Uses of Variety'? A: This book is an academic text that delves into cultural studies, specifically focusing on American literature and identity.
- Q: When was 'The Uses of Variety' published? A: The book was published on February 15, 2001.
- Q: What is the condition of the used book? A: The used book is listed as being in 'Good Condition'.
- Q: How many pages does 'The Uses of Variety' have? A: The book contains 400 pages.
- Q: What is the binding type of this book? A: The binding type of 'The Uses of Variety' is hardcover.
- Q: What subjects does the book cover? A: The book covers subjects related to Americanism, diversity, and the historical context of variety in American culture.
- Q: Is there any specific focus on authors within the book? A: Yes, the book focuses on various writers and intellectuals including William James, Anna Julia Cooper, and W. E. B. Du Bois, among others.
- Q: What can readers expect to learn from this book? A: Readers can expect to gain insights into how the notion of variety contributed to the construction of American identity and the historical debates surrounding it.