The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress
Poor White Women in Southern Literature of the Great Depression
By Ashley Craig Lancaster | Publisher: LSU Press
About the book
In The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress, Ashley Craig Lancaster examines how converging political and cultural movements helped to create dualistic images of southern poor white female characters in Depression-era literature. While other studies address the familial and labor issues that challenged female literary characters during the 1930s, Lancaster focuses on how the evolving eugenics movement reinforced the dichotomy of altruistic maternal figures and destructive sexual deviants.
According to Lancaster, these binary stereotypes became a new analogy for hope and despair in America's future and were well utilized by Depression-era politicians and authors to stabilize the country's economic decline. As a result, the complexity of women's lives was often overlooked in favor of stock characters incapable of individuality.
Lancaster studies a variety of works, including those by male authors William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, and John Steinbeck, as well as female novelists Mary Heaton Vorse, Myra Page, Grace Lumpkin, and Olive Tilford Dargan. She identifies female stereotypes in classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and in the work of later writers Dorothy Allison and Rick Bragg, who embrace and share in a poor white background.
The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress reveals that these literary stereotypes continue to influence not only society's perception of poor white southern women but also women's perception of themselves.
Editions of The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807144459
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807144473
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807144480
- PDF
- ISBN 9780807144466
Read an Excerpt
In The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress, Ashley Craig Lancaster examines how converging political and cultural movements helped to create dualistic images of southern poor white female characters in Depression-era literature. While other studies address the familial and labor issues that challenged female literary characters during the 1930s, Lancaster focuses on how the evolving eugenics movement reinforced the dichotomy of altruistic maternal figures and destructive sexual deviants.
According to Lancaster, these binary stereotypes became a new analogy for hope and despair in America's future and were well utilized by Depression-era politicians and authors to stabilize the country's economic decline. As a result, the complexity of women's lives was often overlooked in favor of stock characters incapable of individuality.
Lancaster studies a variety of works, including those by male authors William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, and John Steinbeck, as well as female novelists Mary Heaton Vorse, Myra Page, Grace Lumpkin, and Olive Tilford Dargan. She identifies female stereotypes in classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and in the work of later writers Dorothy Allison and Rick Bragg, who embrace and share in a poor white background.
The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress reveals that these literary stereotypes continue to influence not only society's perception of poor white southern women but also women's perception of themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress about?
In The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress, Ashley Craig Lancaster examines how converging political and cultural movements helped to create dualistic images of southern poor white female characters in Depression-era literature. While other studies address the familial and labor issues that challenged female literary characters during the 1930s, Lancaster focuses on how the evolving eugenics movement reinforced the dichotomy of altruistic maternal figures and destructive sexual deviants.
According to Lancaster, these binary stereotypes became a new analogy for hope and despair in America's future and were well utilized by Depression-era politicians and authors to stabilize the country's economic decline. As a result, the complexity of women's lives was often overlooked in favor of stock characters incapable of individuality.
Lancaster studies a variety of works, including those by male authors William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, and John Steinbeck, as well as female novelists Mary Heaton Vorse, Myra Page, Grace Lumpkin, and Olive Tilford Dargan. She identifies female stereotypes in classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and in the work of later writers Dorothy Allison and Rick Bragg, who embrace and share in a poor white background.
The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress reveals that these literary stereotypes continue to influence not only society's perception of poor white southern women but also women's perception of themselves.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Literature: history and criticism
Where can I read a sample of The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807144459
How long is The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress and how many pages does it have?
The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress has 240 page(s)
Is The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Southern Literary Studies
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress?
Ashley Craig Lancaster
Who is the Publisher of the book The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress?
LSU Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807144459) and ebook(ISBN 9780807144473) and ebook(ISBN 9780807144480) and pdf(ISBN 9780807144466)
Where can I buy The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy The Angelic Mother and the Predatory Seductress?