Edgar Allan Poe and the Masses

341 Pages·1999·1.29 MB·English

by  Terence Whalen

EDGAR ALLAN POE AND THE MASSES
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EDGAR ALLAN POE
AND THE MASSES
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY
OF LITERATURE IN
ANTEBELLUM AMERICA
TERENCE WHALEN
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
Copyright1999byPrincetonUniversityPress
PublishedbyPrincetonUniversityPress,41WilliamStreet,
Princeton,NewJersey08540
IntheUnitedKingdom:PrincetonUniversityPress,
Chichester,WestSussex
AllRightsReserved
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Whalen,Terence,1959–
EdgarAllanPoeandthemasses:thepoliticaleconomyof
literatureinantebellumAmerica/TerenceWhalen.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-691-00199-5(cloth:alk.paper)
1.Poe,EdgarAllan,1809–1849—ContemporaryAmerica.
2.Literature—Economicaspects—UnitedStates—History—
19thcentury. 3.Authorship—Economicaspects—UnitedStates—
History—19thcentury. 4.Capitalismandliterature—United
States—History—19thcentury. 5.Politicsandliterature—
UnitedStates—History—19thcentury. 6.Literature—
Publishing—UnitedStates—History—19thcentury. 7.Authorsand
readers—UnitedStates—History—19thcentury. 8.Popular
literature—UnitedStates—Historyandcriticism. 9.Massmedia—
UnitedStates—History—19thcentury. I.Title.
PS2633.W48 1999 818′.309—dc21 98-43053 CIP
ThisbookhasbeencomposedinBerkeleyBook
Thepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirements
ofANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992(R1997)(PermanenceofPaper)
http://pup.princeton.edu
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Robin
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CONTENTS
PREFACE ix
LISTOFABBREVIATIONS xi
PARTONE:CAPITALISMANDLITERATURE 1
CHAPTERONE
Introduction: MinorWritingandtheCapitalReader 3
CHAPTERTWO
TheHorridLawsofPoliticalEconomy 21
CHAPTERTHREE
FablesofCirculation: Poe’sInfluence ontheMessenger 58
CHAPTERFOUR
PoeandtheMasses 76
PARTTWO:RACEANDREGION 109
CHAPTERFIVE
AverageRacism:Poe,Slavery,andtheWagesofLiteraryNationalism 111
CHAPTERSIX
SubtleBarbarians:TheSouthernVoyageofEdgarAllanPoe 147
PARTTHREE:MASSCULTURE 193
CHAPTERSEVEN
TheCodeforGold:PoeandCryptography 195
CHAPTEREIGHT
CultureofSurfaces 225
CHAPTERNINE
TheInvestigatingAngel:Poe,Babbage,and“ThePowerofWords” 249
NOTES 275
INDEX 323
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PREFACE
EDGAR ALLAN POE and the Masses explores the relationship between
literature and capitalism in antebellum America. Broadly concerned
withtheemergenceofanationalculturebeforetheCivilWar,thebook
focuses on Poe because he exemplifies, as much as anyone, the predicament
of a “poor-devil author” inan ageof socialand economic turmoil. Througha
series of far-reaching investigations, the book unfolds a new account of the
Americanpublishing industry,whichhadbeguntoregulatenearlyallaspects
ofliterarycreation.
Poewasacutelyawareoftheconsequencesofthenewpublishingenviron-
ment, for like his character Roderick Usher, he possessed an uncanny sensi-
tivity to material powers in the world around him, powers which seemed to
foretelltheimpendingtriumphofmatterovermind.SometimesPoedescribed
thisimpending transformation incosmological terms,butonotheroccasions
hemeticulouslyanalyzed“themagazineprison-house”andthe“horridlawsof
political economy.” Contrary to his image asan artist whowas“out of space,
outoftime,”Poerespondedtohiseconomicpredicamentinavarietyofways,
ranging from theoretical pronouncements on literary value to practical ven-
tures in the magazine business. Poe and the Masses accordingly departs from
criticalloreandinsteaddepictsawriterwhowasbothproductandportentof
anemergingmassculture.
Making extensive use of primary materials, the individual chapters offer
severalnewcontributionstoourunderstandingofPoeandhisworld:thefirst
fully documented interpretation of Poe’s response to American slavery; the
first accurate account of Poe’s performance as a literary entrepreneur; a new
explanation of Poe’s ambivalence towardnationalism, exploration, andimpe-
rialism;adetailed inquiryintotheconflictbetween“secretwriting”andcom-
mon knowledge in Jacksonian America; and a general interpretation of the
socialmeaning ofPoe’sinnovationsinliterature andcriticism.AsIsuggestin
the final chapter, Poe’s inability to escape the “horrid laws of political econ-
omy”ultimatelyinspiredhisrecurrentdreamofamateriallanguagethatcould
transporthimbeyondtheboundsofcapitalist regulation.
. . . . .
I am grateful to the many people who helped make this book possible. A
reading group at Duke University gave me confidence to pursue this proj-
ect; my thanks to Tito Basu, Joe Cole, Tim Dayton, Craig Hanks, Angela
Hubler, Caren Irr, Carolyn Lesjak, Bill Maxwell, and many visitors. I am also
grateful to Professors Cathy Davidson, Robert Gleckner, Ric Roderick, and