'The Word in Black and White': Reading `Race' in American Literature, 1638-1867

Nelson provides a study of the ways in which Anglo-American authors constructed "race" in their works from the time of the first British colonists through the period of the Civil war. Choosing texts which assume a variety of positions on the issue of race, both fictional and non-fictional, Nelson traces its development at the level of ongoing cultural subjugation. Looking at race as a fictional construct and a cultural apparatus, she explores how these textsstrategize race for their larger culture, and how they contribute to the continuing debate.