Individualism and its discontents: appropriations of Emerson, 1880-1950

463 Pages·1997·1.18 MB·English

by  Charles E. Mitchell

Individualism and Its Discontents :
title:
Appropriations of Emerson, 1880-1950
author: Mitchell, Charles E.
publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
isbn10 | asin: 1558490736
print isbn13: 9781558490734
ebook isbn13: 9780585142135
language: English
Emerson, Ralph Waldo,--1803-1882--
Political and social views, American
literature--20th century--History and
subject criticism, American literature--19th century-
-History and criticism, Emerson, Ralph
Waldo,--1803-1882--Influence, United
States--Civilization--186
publication date: 1997
lcc: PS1642.S58M58 1997eb
ddc: 810.9/005
Emerson, Ralph Waldo,--1803-1882--
Political and social views, American
literature--20th century--History and
subject: criticism, American literature--19th century-
-History and criticism, Emerson, Ralph
Waldo,--1803-1882--Influence, United
States--Civilization--186
Page iii
Individualism and Its Discontents
Appropriations of Emerson, 18801950
Charles E. Mitchell
University of Massachusetts Press
AMHERST
Page iv
Copyright © 1997 by The University of Massachusetts Press All
rights reserved Printed in the United States of America LC 96-39859
ISBN 1-55849-073-6 Set in Adobe Garamond by Keystone
Typesetting, Inc. Printed and bound by Braun-Brumfield, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mitchell, Charles E., 1962
Individualism and its discontents: appropriations of Emerson,
18801950 /Charles E. Mitchell.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 1-55849-073-6 (alk. paper)
1. Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 18031882Political and social views.
2. American literature20th centuryHistory and criticism.
3. American literature19th centuryHistory and criticism.
4. Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 18031882Influence.
5. United StatesCivilization18651918.
6. United StatesCivilization19181945.
7. IndividualismUnited StatesHistory.
8. Individualism in literature. I. Title.
PS1642-S58M58 1997
810.9'005dc21 96-39859
CIP
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data are available.
Grateful acknowledgment is given to New Directions Publishing
Corporation and Carcanet Press Ltd. for permission to quote from the
following copyrighted works of William Carlos Williams: The
Autobiography of William Carlos Williams, © 1948, 1951 by William
Carlos Williams; Collected Poems: Volume 2: 19391961, © 1944,
1953, 1962, by William Carlos Williams, © 1988 by William Eric
Williams and Paul H. Williams; The Embodiment of Knowledge, ©
1974 by Florence H. Williams; Imaginations, © 1970 by Florence H.
Williams; In the American Grain, © 1925 by James Laughlin; © 1933
by William Carlos Williams; Paterson, © 1946, 1948, 1949, 1958 by
William Carlos Williams; Selected Essays, © 1954 by William Carlos
Williams; Selected Letters of William Carlos Williams, © 1957 by
William Carlos Williams.
Page v
For my parents, Charles E. and Margaret T. Mitchell
Page vii
The best read naturalist who lends an entire and devout attention to truth, will
see that there remains much to learn of his relation to the world, and that it is
not to be learned by any addition or subtraction or other comparison of
known quantities, but is arrived at by untaught sallies of the spirit, by a
continual self-recovery, and by entire humility.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON, Nature
Page ix
Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
An Individualism of Vaporous Spirituality
One 12
The Aroma of Personality and the Dignity of Clean
Living
Two 37
The Undersexed Valetudinarian:
Emerson and Modern Criticism
Three 73
William James and the Varieties of Emerson
Four 115
W.E.B. Du Bois and the Implications of Pragmatism
Five 149
Inclusiveness without Redundancy:
William Carlos Williams in the Emersonian Grain
Epilogue 181
Emersonian Refractions
Notes 195
Index 219

Page xi
Acknowledgments
As with all first books, mine has accrued more than its fair share of
debt. I begin with those at the Claremont Graduate School whose
compassion, encouragement, and plain decency disproved all of my
worst fears about life in graduate school. Robert Dawidoff guided this
project from its inception, and his example continues to inspire my
own teaching and scholarship. Rena Fraden read the first version of
each chapter with undeserved care, and her insightful comments
contributed greatly to the final product. Michael Roth graciously
loaned me the subtitle, and helped to convince me that I actually knew
what I was talking about. LeeAnn Meyer read early parts of the
manuscript and did her best to keep me honest and clear in my
thinking. I am grateful to the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes
Foundation for its generous support during an early stage of this
project.
Michael Kiskis, John McLaughlin, and Scott Minar, colleagues at
Elmira College, offered many helpful comments, some of which
pertained to the book; they also helped to create the atmosphere of
refined madness that has spurred me on to completion. Bryan
Reddick, Elmira's dean, provided various kinds of support, and for
that and other things I thank him. Karen Sue Bishop assisted in the
proofreading and exhibited skill and effort in compiling the index.
Clark Dougan and the staff at the University of Massachusetts Press
offered me more encouragement than I deserved, and made this
experience a downright enjoyable one. Two readers for the press gave
detailed criticism that has considerably improved the book; its
lingering weaknesses no doubt result from my stubborn refusal to
follow all of their suggestions.