Frederick Douglass’ emphasis on literacy, individualism and autonomy in his first autobiography shows that it was written, partly at least, to meet the expectations of a white, predominantly male...Show moreFrederick Douglass’ emphasis on literacy, individualism and autonomy in his first autobiography shows that it was written, partly at least, to meet the expectations of a white, predominantly male audience. His second autobiography departs from these expectations: it pays more attention Douglass’ place within the black community and family – both in and out of slavery – and thus, significantly shows more similarities to female narratives such as Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl than his first narrative. The narrative becomes less male gendered.Show less
Through the method of close-reading the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn this thesis complicates the notions put forth in Nina Baym's classic essay "Melodramas of Beset Manhood" (1981)...Show moreThrough the method of close-reading the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn this thesis complicates the notions put forth in Nina Baym's classic essay "Melodramas of Beset Manhood" (1981) regarding the role of gender in nineteenth-century American canonical literature.Show less
A critical analysis of Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland: or, The Transformation: An American Tale (1798) and James Hogg’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824). Through...Show moreA critical analysis of Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland: or, The Transformation: An American Tale (1798) and James Hogg’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824). Through psychoanalytical and dialectic models, this thesis compares and contrasts Brown and Hogg's critique of religious fanaticism in two separate (British and American) contexts. The focus is on the Gothic trope 'the Double' used by both authors to unfold their criticism.Show less
