Letter and the Spirit of Nineteenth-Century American Literature: Justice, Politics, TheologyMoving back to the trial of Anne Hutchinson in Puritan Massachusetts and the captivity narrative of Mary Rowlandson in order to analyse theo-political signification, Loebel provides a new context for examining the politically performative function of language in such texts as "The Scarlet Letter," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and "Waiting for the Verdict." He also argues, however, that a specific theo-logic manifests itself in the political rhetoric of the nation, such that the afterlife of the "New Jerusalem" resonates not just in the "Blessings of Liberty" enshrined in the Constitution but also in the shift from a religious understanding of union with Jesus to that of the Union of States as a nation. Loebel compares unionist and confederate discourse, opening up new ways of theorising representation as a political, theological, legal, and literary issue that has continued currency both in twentieth-century literature and in the political discourse of America's global vision, such as the "axis of evil" and the "new world order." Anyone interested in American literature and culture will view the relationship between ethics and justice differently after reading this book. |
From inside the book
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Page 6
... according to Levinas , ethics is metaphysics , establish- ing the necessity of the intersubjective relation and the necessity of re- sponsibility for the other as that which constitutes ontology and any kind of fundamental ontology of ...
... according to Levinas , ethics is metaphysics , establish- ing the necessity of the intersubjective relation and the necessity of re- sponsibility for the other as that which constitutes ontology and any kind of fundamental ontology of ...
Page 14
... According to Daniel N. Hoffman , " by some estimates fewer than five percent of the popula- tion had taken part in choosing the delegates to the ratifying conven- tions " ( 63 ) . How this collectivity signified the " nation " ( which ...
... According to Daniel N. Hoffman , " by some estimates fewer than five percent of the popula- tion had taken part in choosing the delegates to the ratifying conven- tions " ( 63 ) . How this collectivity signified the " nation " ( which ...
Page 15
... according to right principles of justice . Each of these cases is cast in a triadic or trinitarian temporality of creation , revelation , and redemption , which organize the difficulties of thinking about and working within their ...
... according to right principles of justice . Each of these cases is cast in a triadic or trinitarian temporality of creation , revelation , and redemption , which organize the difficulties of thinking about and working within their ...
Page 16
... according to the principles of rightness , while judging the performance of democracy . And it should be no surprise that in charged moments , the pursuit of America as Other and as the union of democracy and justice is represented by ...
... according to the principles of rightness , while judging the performance of democracy . And it should be no surprise that in charged moments , the pursuit of America as Other and as the union of democracy and justice is represented by ...
Page 22
... according to Stowe , is no sensitive man hoping for tears to change the world . Stowe's men , with good sentiments and who might " feel right , " make good speeches , but their inaction is figured as reprehensible . Feminization is not ...
... according to Stowe , is no sensitive man hoping for tears to change the world . Stowe's men , with good sentiments and who might " feel right , " make good speeches , but their inaction is figured as reprehensible . Feminization is not ...
Contents
3 | |
26 | |
How to Avoid Speaking the Name of the Father | 62 |
UnionistRepublican and ConfederateDemocratic Narratives | 99 |
Uncle Toms Cabin and the Ethical Critique of Justice | 127 |
5 Exodus Politics and the Redemption of Difference | 172 |
Advocacy and Others Voices | 217 |
Confederate Democracy and the NonInDifferent Constitution | 245 |
Notes | 257 |
Works Cited | 273 |
Index | 289 |
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Letter and the Spirit of Nineteenth-Century American Literature: Justice ... Thomas Loebel No preview available - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
according African American alterity Anne Hutchinson annunciation Antinomian argue articulated becomes biblical body Cable Calvin Ellis Stowe captivity Christ Christian confederate confederate-democratic congregationalism Constitution construction context conversion covenant Creoles cultural democracy difference Dimmesdale discourse divine emancipation enables equality ethical Exodus faith father feminine figure Frowenfeld function God's Grandissimes H.B. Stowe Harriet Beecher Stowe Hebrew Bible Hester human language identity individual interpretation issues Jesus Jews judgment justice Levinas Liberia liberty logic magistrates male Mary Rowlandson masculinity material meaning ment ministers narrative nation one's particular performance persons plurality political position possibility promote Puritan question racial radical reading Reconstruction redemption relation rendered represent representation revelation rhetoric Rowlandson Scarlet Letter sense sentiment signifies slavery slaves social Sojourner Truth soul speak speech spirit Stowe's structure suggests temporal theological thing tion translation Uncle Tom's Cabin understanding union unionist unionist-republican voice woman women word writing