Contesting the Past, Reconstructing the Nation: American Literature and Culture in the Gilded Age, 1876-1893

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Contesting the Past, Reconstructing the Nation Studies in American Literary Realism and Naturalism series editor Gary Scharnhorst editorial board Louis J. Budd Donna Campbell John Crowley Robert E. Fleming Alan Gribben Eric Haralson Denise D. Knight Joseph McElrath George Monteiro Brenda Murphy James Nagel Alice Hall Petry Donald Pizer Tom Quirk Jeanne Campbell Reesman Ken Roemer Contesting the Past, Reconstructing the Nation American Literature and Culture in the Gilded Age, 1876–1893 Ben Railton The University of Alabama Press Tuscaloosa Copyright © 2007 The University of Alabama Press Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380 All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America Typeface: Minion ∞ The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Railton, Ben, 1977– Contesting the past, reconstructing the nation : American literature and culture in the Gilded Age, 1876–1893 / Ben Railton. p. cm. — (Studies in American literary realism and naturalism) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8173-1580-1 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8173-1580-2 (alk. paper) 1. American literature—19th century—History and criticism. 2. National characteristics, American, in literature. 3. Literature and society—United States—History—19th century. 4. Sex role in literature. 5. Race in literature. I. Title. PS214.R35 2007 820.9′358—dc22 2007005022 ...