“Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic Fiction
This paper explores the role of books in American antebellum domestic fiction. Written primarily for middle-class readers, domestic fiction offers advice on how to create an ideal home and in these ideal homes the presence of books is necessary. In an era plagued by a volatile national economy, mone...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Association for American Studies
2017-08-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12015 |
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| author | Johanna McElwee |
| author_facet | Johanna McElwee |
| author_sort | Johanna McElwee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores the role of books in American antebellum domestic fiction. Written primarily for middle-class readers, domestic fiction offers advice on how to create an ideal home and in these ideal homes the presence of books is necessary. In an era plagued by a volatile national economy, monetary assets proved an unstable basis for class affiliation. Domestic fiction, however, presents the ownership of books as an alternative foundation for class status. As a result, rather than being based on economic resources, which might lose value overnight, thus causing a plunge on the social ladder, in these tales, middle-class status transcends economic status as it becomes synonymous with the ownership and appreciation of books and the personal qualities books were expected to foster. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1bef6acfad874f78ac45ca98b6b7be2f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-1bef6acfad874f78ac45ca98b6b7be2f2025-01-06T09:09:33ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362017-08-0112210.4000/ejas.12015“Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic FictionJohanna McElweeThis paper explores the role of books in American antebellum domestic fiction. Written primarily for middle-class readers, domestic fiction offers advice on how to create an ideal home and in these ideal homes the presence of books is necessary. In an era plagued by a volatile national economy, monetary assets proved an unstable basis for class affiliation. Domestic fiction, however, presents the ownership of books as an alternative foundation for class status. As a result, rather than being based on economic resources, which might lose value overnight, thus causing a plunge on the social ladder, in these tales, middle-class status transcends economic status as it becomes synonymous with the ownership and appreciation of books and the personal qualities books were expected to foster.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12015domesticityEliza LeslieCatharine Maria SedgwickSusan Warnerantebellum consumerismdomestic fiction |
| spellingShingle | Johanna McElwee “Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic Fiction European Journal of American Studies domesticity Eliza Leslie Catharine Maria Sedgwick Susan Warner antebellum consumerism domestic fiction |
| title | “Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic Fiction |
| title_full | “Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic Fiction |
| title_fullStr | “Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic Fiction |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic Fiction |
| title_short | “Who Can Estimate the Value of a Book!”: Buying and Owning Books in Antebellum Domestic Fiction |
| title_sort | who can estimate the value of a book buying and owning books in antebellum domestic fiction |
| topic | domesticity Eliza Leslie Catharine Maria Sedgwick Susan Warner antebellum consumerism domestic fiction |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12015 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johannamcelwee whocanestimatethevalueofabookbuyingandowningbooksinantebellumdomesticfiction |