Washington Irving and the Fantasy of Masculinity by Heinz Tschachler

Washington Irving and the Fantasy of Masculinity by Heinz Tschachler

Washington Irving remains one of the most recognized American authors of the 19th century, remembered for short stories like Rip van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He also accomplished other writing feats, including penning George Washington's biography and other life stories. Throughout his life, Irving was at odds with socially-approved ways of "being a man." Irving purportedly saw himself and was seen by others as feminine, shy, and non-confrontational. Likely related to this, he chose to engage with other men's fortunes and adventures by writing, defining his male identity vicariously, through masculine archetypes both fictional and non-fictional. Sitting at the intersection of literary studies and masculinity studies, this reading reconstructs Irving's life-long struggle to somehow win a place among other men. Readers will recognize masculine themes in his tales from the Spanish period, his western adventures, as well as in historical biographies of Columbus, Mahomet, and Washington. In many writings by Irving, especially Sleepy Hollow, readers will observe themes dominated by masculinity. The book is the first of its kind to encompass and examine Irving's writings.

“A smart, original, and provocative study”—Andrew Burstein, Charles P. Manship Professor of History, Louisiana State University

Heinz Tschachler is a former professor of English and American studies at Alpen-Adria-University in Klagenfurt, Austria. He is the author of numerous books.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781476686660
ISBN 10	1476686661
Title	Washington Irving and the Fantasy of Masculinity
Author	Heinz Tschachler
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	McFarland & Co Inc
Year published	2022-02-02
Number of pages	285
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable