White Writers Race Matters Fictions of Racial Liberalism from Stowe to Stockett
by tracking this tradition in American literary history. Dating back to Uncle Tom's Cabin, the genre includes widely-read and taught works such as Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird along with period best-sellers now sometimes forgotten. This history also takes us to Hollywood, which
regularly adapted them into blockbusters that spread their cultural influence further as well as incited debates over their politics. These novels strive to move readers emotionally toward ethical transformation and practical action. Their literary forms, styles and plots derive from the cultural
work they intend to do in educating the minds and hearts of those who, in James Baldwin's words, "think they are white"--indeed, in making the social construction of that whiteness readable and thus more susceptible to reform. Each chapter provides a case study combining biography, historical
analysis, close reading, and literary theory to map the significance of this genre and its ongoing relevance. This tradition remains vital because every generation must relearn the lessons of antiracism and formulate effective cultural narratives for transmitting intellectual and affective tools
useful in fighting injustice.
Publisher Name | Oxford University Press USA |
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Author Name | Hagendorf, Col |
Format | Audio |
Bisac Subject Major | LIT |
Language | NG |
Isbn 10 | 0190687223 |
Isbn 13 | 9780190687229 |
Target Age Group | min:NA, max:NA |
Dimensions | 00.94" H x 00.06" L x 30.00" W |
Page Count | 384 |
Gregory S. Jay is Professor of English, University Wisconsin--Milwaukee.