19th Century American Literature

Why do so many women in 19th century American fiction end up dead Why are so many men in 19th century American fiction single, or why do they murder their wives to gain that status Why can no superhero have a wife The answers to these questions and more can be found in the literature in this text. America in the 19th century had a literary renaissance, and the texts in this anthology include some of the greatest American fiction ever written-and virtually of all it was produced in the space of just 35 years, from 1835 to 1870. And not only was there lots of it, it was virtually all new. BRAND NEW LITERARY FORMS. In those 35 years, the Western was invented. Detective fiction was invented. The novel was reinvented, and poetry in the hands of Walt Whitman went off in a direction it has maintained to this day. The literature will make you cry; it will make you laugh; and it will scare you silly.