Worldly Acts and Sentient Things: The Persistence of Agency from Stein to DeLillo

Title Page, Copyright

q Worldly Acts And sentient things This page intentionally left blank. n Worldly Acts AND sentient things THE PERSISTENCE OF AGENCY FROM STEIN TO DELILLO Robert Chodat cornell University Press Ithaca and London Publication of this book has been aided by a grant from the Boston University humanities Foundation. copyright © 2008 by cornell University All rights reserved. except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher . For information, address cornell University Press, sage house, 512 east state street, ithaca, new york 14850. First published 2008 by cornell University Printed in the United states of America library of congress cataloging-in-Publication data chodat, robert. Worldly acts and sentient things : the persistence of agency from stein to delillo / robert chodat. p. cm. includes bibliographical references and index. isBn 978-0-8014-4678-8 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. American literature—20th century—history and criticism. 2. Agent (Philosophy) in literature. 3. consciousness in literature. 4. subjectivity in literature. 5. Philosophy, Modern, in literature. i. title Ps288.A49c48 2008 810.9'384—dc22 2008001243 cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. such materials include vegetable-based, low-voc inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu. cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ...