The problem of American literary scholarship -- Reading the tradition: the rhetoric of transcendentalist scholarship -- Time and textuality: Between metaphor and metaphysics: reading Emerson as "onward thinking" ; Writing in/as history: Thoreau's Week -- American literary scholarship for the twentieth century
Summary
This monograph argues that the institution of American literary scholarship enshrines a reactionary view of history and narrative and an unrealistic view of America itself. The author also examines contemporary debates about the methods and status of literary history in general
Analysis
Literature History
United States
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-205) and index