America and the British imaginary in Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century Literature

Description:

"Cultivating Allegiance argues that British representations of America, Americans, and Anglo-American relations at the turn of the twentieth century provided an important forum for promoting the improving effects of culture, particularly literature. Analyzing America provided an indirect form of self-scrutiny for British writers and readers, safely insulated by the superiority invoked by critiquing American difference. Operating within a reflexive transatlantic print culture, writers crafted cultivated personae as markers of an ideal Britishness. In so doing, they deployed a variety of images of the United States as counterparts to their visions of these ideals. Thus, British representations of America provide an important linkage between nineteenth and twentieth century visions of British culture and national identity"--

subjects: National characteristics, American, in literature,  English literature,  National characteristics, British, in literature,  Relations,  Civilization,  British influences,  In literature,  American influences,  United states, relations, great britain,  United states, civilization,  America, in literature,  Great britain, relations, foreign countries

Places: United States,  Great Britain,  America