Sentimental bodies
Book Description
In the formative years of American society, the boundaries between public discourse and private emotion shaped more than political debates—they molded the very conception of what it means to be human. Bruce Burgett examines this pivotal period when sentimentalism and rationality collided in the literary sphere, revealing how these tensions influenced the development of American identity and citizenship.
This scholarly exploration delves into the intricate relationship between feeling and reason in early American culture, challenging conventional assumptions about how political consciousness emerges. Burgett investigates how writers and thinkers of the era navigated the complex terrain between personal sentiment and public responsibility, showing how these negotiations affected concepts of gender, sexuality, and bodily experience.
Rather than accepting the traditional divide between emotion and logic, this work demonstrates how sentimentalism functioned as a legitimate form of political engagement. Through careful analysis of literary texts from 1783 to 1850, Burgett reveals how Americans constructed new understandings of citizenship that incorporated both intellectual and emotional dimensions of human experience.
For readers interested in understanding how societies develop their fundamental values and how individual consciousness relates to collective identity, this book offers valuable insights into the ongoing dialogue between heart and mind in shaping human community. The examination of early American literary culture provides a foundation for reflecting on contemporary questions about authenticity, belonging, and the integration of feeling with thoughtful action.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Buddhism
📄 Length: 213 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Explore American literature, history and criticism, 1783-1850
- ✓ Explore In literature
- ✓ Discover Zen principles and teachings
- ✓ Explore Sex role in literature
- ✓ Explore Literature
- ✓ Explore Body, Human, in literature
- ✓ Explore Politics
