|
|
Incest in the Nineteenth Century American Literature
Gudkov, Danila ; Robbins, David Lee (advisor) ; Quinn, Justin (referee)
The subject of this BA thesis is social and political reasons behind the incest fascination in 19th century America. My aim is to investigate the surprisingly common details prevalent in this area of American literature and to find and explain reasons behind their presence. In such stories, due to the fathers' infidelity a young man or women eventually end up in a situation of nearly committing incest with either their father or their own half sibling. Afterwards, the realization of said fact causes misery and often death to both parties involved. The mother's presence plays no role in this kind of novels, as she is either narratively absent or outright dead. This thesis will attempt to prove that abovementioned scenario is not merely a way to attract fame and riches but the representation of fears that plagued the population of New World. The works which will be discussed are Alice Doane's Appeal by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Marian and Lydia, Mentoria; or The young lady's friend by Mrs. Rowson, Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, Pierre, or the Ambiguities, Herman Melville, The Power of Sympathy:or, the Triumph of Nature by William Hill Brown and Louisa May Alcott's The Marble Woman, or the Mysterious Model. The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction in which I...
|
guest ::
