Literature and Humanitarian Reform in the Civil War Era"... this volume presents a reasonable, fresh, and well-researched reading of several key texts in American studies." -- Journal of the American Studies Association of Texas During the Civil War, a crisis erupted in philanthropy that dramatically changed humanitarian theories and demanded new approaches to humanitarian work. Certain writer-activists began to advocate an "eccentric benevolence" -- a type of philanthropy that would undo the distinction between the powerful bestowers of benevolence and the weaker folks who receive it. Among the figures discussed are the anti-philanthropic Henry David Thoreau and the dangerously philanthropic John Brown. |
Contents
ONE An Introduction to Eccentric Benevolence | 1 |
Two Dangerous Philanthropy | 17 |
THREE Harriet Jacobs and the Subversion of Style | 49 |
FOUR Suffering beyond Description | 77 |
AIDS and Unconventional Caring | 157 |
Notes | 173 |
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Common terms and phrases
abolitionism abolitionists activists African Americans AIDS altruizm American Indian Amy Post antebellum antislavery humanitarianism antislavery movement black abolitionists Boston careproviders Cheever Christian Commission Civil coercive humanitarianism consolation conventional humanitarianism crisis critical cultural death Despite dominant Drum-Taps eccentric benevolence eccentric humanitarian Frederick Douglass grief Harpers Ferry Harriet Jacobs Hospital Sketches human humanitar humanitarian action humanitarian agent humanitarian discourse humanitarian reform images Incidents Jacobs's John Brown Kate language letter Lilacs Lincoln Linda literature living Louisa May Alcott Lydia Maria Child Maine Woods moral suasion mourning narrative Native Americans never nineteenth-century nonresistants North nurse Nurse's Story oppressed paternalistic patient-centered patients person philanthropy Phillips poem poet Polis political practices PWAS race racialist racism readers Redpath representations rhetoric Robert role Sanitary Commission self-help sentimental sick slave slavery social control soldiers subversive suffering sympathy talk Thoreau violence Walt Whitman white humanitarians Whittier William wounded writing York