inhuman race, The
the racial grotesque in American literature and culture
Leonard Cassuto
289 pages | ~8 hrs
inhuman race, The
the racial grotesque in American literature and culture
By Leonard Cassuto
Leonard Cassuto presents a profound examination of how racial categorization has shaped American consciousness from colonial times through the present day. Rather than treating perspectives on race as separate narratives, this scholarly work weaves together the voices of both those who created racial categories and those who were subjected to them, revealing the complex dialogue that has defined American identity.
Drawing from diverse literary sources including Puritan captivity accounts, slave narratives, and proslavery fiction, Cassuto explores works by influential writers like Melville, Stowe, and Douglass. His analysis extends beyond literature to encompass cultural phenomena ranging from colonial-era curiosities to nineteenth-century entertainment spectacles and racial stereotyping.
The book's central insight challenges readers to examine not merely their beliefs about race, but the fundamental ways they organize and categorize human experience. By connecting historical American perspectives with contemporary struggles, Cassuto demonstrates how past patterns of thinking continue to influence modern society.
This work offers valuable insights for those seeking to understand the deep roots of racial consciousness in America. Through careful literary and cultural analysis, it illuminates how the categorization of people has functioned throughout American history, providing readers with tools for recognizing and questioning inherited ways of thinking about human difference and identity.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Littérature américaine
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Explore Letterkunde
- ✓ Explore Rassen (mens)
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Rassismus
- ✓ Explore Histoire et critique
- ✓ Explore American literature
Topics
Details
- Published
- 1997
- Publisher
- Columbia University Press
- ISBN-10
- 0231103360
- Pages
- 289
- Language
- EN
- LC Classification
- PS217.R28 C37 1997
