A mirror for the republic : mimesis, racial justice, and American literary realism.

The following study examines the degree to which the American Literary realist movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century worked to undermine the racial stereotypes that justified the continued marginalization of African Americans. Using Plato and Aristotle's theory of mimesis, I argue that both black and white writers manipulated audience expectations and prejudices in order to challenge their racist misconceptions. Twain, Chesnutt, Dunbar, and Crane, the writers in this study, used recognizable patterns and historical events that their audience would recognize only to upturn those patterns at emotionally key moments. By creating an emotional connection with the character writers could create a rhetorical space through which they could argue for a new understanding of black people.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Land, Robin Jeremy, 1978-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Fulton, Joe B., 1962-

• American literary realism.
• Mimesis.
• Mark Twain.
• Paul Dunbar.
• Stephen Crane.
• Charles Chessnutt.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/10986

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/10986