Nations and Novels: Cultural Politics and Literary Use.

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  • Author(s): Corse, Sarah M.
  • Source:
    Social Forces. Jun95, Vol. 73 Issue 4, p1279. 30p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      A comparative analysis of 184 Canadian and American popular and high-culture novels suggests the inadequacy of the traditional understanding of national literary differences as reflecting unique national characters. I present and alternative understanding of national literatures that considers variation in production contexts and literary use across types of literature. In brief, I argue that popular-culture novels differ little between the Canada and the U. S. precisely because they are shaped by similar mass-market strategies and read by similar audiences. My data on the other hand, suggests that such novels have a highly symbolic value tied to the development of the nation-state and are shaped by elite interests in national identity construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
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