Delicate Pursuit Discretion in Henry James and Edith Wharton |
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| Author:
| Levine, Jessica |
| Series title: | Studies in Major Literary Authors Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-203-61696-3 |
| Publication Date: | Jan 2013 |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis Group
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| Imprint: | Routledge |
| Book Format: | Digital (delivered electronically) |
| List Price: | USD $62.95USD $180.00USD $180.00 |
Book Description:
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Delicate Pursuit explores the way in which Henry James and Edith Wharton treated subject matter that was considered controversial by American publishers at the turn of the century. In their treatment of risque topics, James and Wharton pursued discretion, the key concept of this study, in order to avoid censorship. Discretion marks not only the author's relationship to their subject matter but also the behavior of the characters in the fiction. This study takes into particular...
More DescriptionDelicate Pursuit explores the way in which Henry James and Edith Wharton treated subject matter that was considered controversial by American publishers at the turn of the century. In their treatment of risque topics, James and Wharton pursued discretion, the key concept of this study, in order to avoid censorship. Discretion marks not only the author's relationship to their subject matter but also the behavior of the characters in the fiction.
This study takes into particular account the influence of the French literary tradition on these two authors. At the crossroads of the new freedom of expression opened up by French realism and the persisting puritanical standards of their American audiences, James and Wharton sough safe ways to address adult sexuality, and the French theme of adulterous love in particular.