Overview

Examines the subversive and constructive narrative of female journey in American literature, from the seventeenth century to the present.

Full Product Details

Author:   Marilyn C. Wesley
Publisher:   State University of New York Press
Imprint:   State University of New York Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.263kg
ISBN:  

9780791439968

ISBN 10:   0791439968
Pages:   167
Publication Date:   22 October 1998
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction The Secret Journey: The Trope of Women's Travel in American Literature Part I The Contravention of Values Chapter 1 The Not Unfeared, Half-Welcome Guest: The Woman Traveler in John Greenleaf Whittier's Snow-Bound Part II Alternative Journeys Chapter 2 Moving Targets: The Travel Text in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson Chapter 3 ""The Perilous Journey through the Human House"": The Gothic Journey in Willa Cather's The Professor's House and Edith Wharton's Summer Chapter 4 A Woman's Place: The Politics of Space in Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Part III Travel as Social Reconstruction Chapter 5 The Genteel Picara: The Ethical Imperative in Sarah Orne Jewett's The Country of the Pointed Firs Chapter 6 Sisters of the Road: Transience as Theme and Form in Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping Part IV Transformative Journeys Chapter 7 The Developmental Journey: Narrative, Psychological, and Social Transformation in Eudora Welty's Short Fiction Chapter 8 The Postmodern Journey: Elizabeth Bishop's Trope of Travel Conclusion Orpah's Journey: Reading the Constructive Narrative Notes Works Cited Index

Reviews

"""This book is unquestionably a significant contribution to the field of American literature. Extremely well written, it utilizes an impressively broad range of scholarship and contemporary theory, and is thoughtfully persuasive. Because the past few years have seen a decided revival of interest in travel writing, particularly by women, Wesley's study of the trope of travel appears at just the right time: we need an original, in-depth, scholarly, and lucidly presented reexamination of major works vis-a-vis this metaphor, and Marilyn Wesley has written it. All American literature scholars would benefit from Wesley's original views."" - Abby H. P. Werlock, St. Olaf College ""Wesley's claims and her close readings are engaging. Her criticism often persuaded me to re-read the texts she discussed. As an American literature teacher and scholar, I found the book quite useful."" - Gregory Eiselein, Kansas State University"

This book is unquestionably a significant contribution to the field of American literature. Extremely well written, it utilizes an impressively broad range of scholarship and contemporary theory, and is thoughtfully persuasive. Because the past few years have seen a decided revival of interest in travel writing, particularly by women, Wesley's study of the trope of travel appears at just the right time: we need an original, in-depth, scholarly, and lucidly presented reexamination of major works vis-a-vis this metaphor, and Marilyn Wesley has written it. All American literature scholars would benefit from Wesley's original views. - Abby H. P. Werlock, St. Olaf College Wesley's claims and her close readings are engaging. Her criticism often persuaded me to re-read the texts she discussed. As an American literature teacher and scholar, I found the book quite useful. - Gregory Eiselein, Kansas State University

Author Information

Marilyn C. Wesley is Assistant Professor of English at Hartwick College. She is also the author of Refusal and Transgression in Joyce Carol Oates' Fiction.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions