States of Sympathy: Seduction and Democracy in the American Novel - Paperback

by Elizabeth Barnes (Author)

Explores the extent to which sympathy and sentiment--through the representation of the family--are increasingly employed to construct the notion of a politically affective state in philosophical, political and literary texts. The book offers fresh interpretations of classic and lesser-known works, from Susanna Rowson's Charlotte Temple to Herman Melville's Billy Budd.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Barnes is associate professor of English at the College of William and Mary.