The Second Phase of Realism in American Fiction: The Rise and Fall of the Social Self

摘要: Contributing to the current effort rethink American realism, this essay concentrates on work of second-generation realist novelists both well known (Dreiser, Wharton) and forgotten (Robert Grant, Robert Herrick, Booth Tarkington). I argue that, during first two decades twentieth century, did for fiction what their contemporaries, pragmatists, philosophy: they reconceive modern subject a new modernity. Like philosophical tradition previous centuries, earlier understood liberal individual as exemplary subject. However, in an age characterized by “the regress self-sufficiency progress association,” one contemporary economist had it, individualism’s stock dropped among number thinkers—artists academics alike. As demonstrates way which participate culturewide transform realism redefine subjectivity US, it also challenges received relationship between women consumption. To overturn standard view that consumption was largely solipsistic activity women, show ways body fiction, together with pragmatist writings, exposes thoroughgoing sociality consumer culture.