Literary Criticism - General & Miscellaneous, 20th Century American Literature - General & Miscellaneous - Literary Criticism, Comparative Literature, Politics & Literature, 19th Century American Literature - Literary Criticism, General & Miscellaneous Ru

The Dark Mirror

Name: The Dark Mirror
Author: Myler Wilkinson
ISBN: 9780820433073

by Myler Wilkinson

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Overview

Scholarly interest in the relationship between Russia and America has most often focused on a dialectic of social and political difference. Distinct from this approach, The Dark Mirror explores the way in which American literary identities have emerged out of intense dialogue with Russian culture. Drawing on the ideas of Mikhail Bakhtin, the study traces the historical connections that have drawn American writers into the orbit of Russian literature and culture during the period 1860-1917. Individual chapters are devoted to Henry James, Willa Cather, and Sherwood Anderson as each reads the figures of Russian literature against a native American tradition. The concluding chapter initiates discussion on the ways in which literary influence is bound up with a dialogue shaped by the needs of social identity and political power.

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An exploration of the historical connections between American writers and Russian literature and culture focusing on the period between 1860 and 1917. Wilkinson (Russian and American literature, Selkirk College) draws on the dialectic theories of Mikhail Bakhtin to trace the ways in which American writers engaged with the social identity and political power figured by Russian literature, in particular focusing on Henry James, Willa Cather, and Sherwood Anderson as each interpreted Russian influences against a native American tradition. The appendices include brief essays on Russian and American dialogues in the 20th century, and Willa Cather's admiration for Russian art. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.