Perfecting Friendship: Politics and Affiliation in Early American Literature [Hardcover]

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 2006

Contemporary notions of friendship regularly place it in the private sphere, associated with feminized forms of sympathy and affection. As Ivy Schweitzer explains, however, this perception leads to a misunderstanding of American history. In an exploration of early American literature and culture, Schweitzer uncovers friendships built on a classical model that is both public and political in nature.

Schweitzer begins with Aristotle's ideal of "perfect" friendship that positions freely chosen relationships among equals as the highest realization of ethical, social, and political bonds. Evidence in works by John Winthrop, Hannah Foster, James Fenimore Cooper, and Catharine Sedgwick confirms that this classical model shaped early American concepts of friendship and, thus, democracy. Schweitzer argues that recognizing the centrality of friendship as a cultural institution is critical to understanding the rationales for consolidating power among white males in the young nation. She also demonstrates how women, nonelite groups, and minorities have appropriated and redefined the discourse of perfect friendship, making equality its result rather than its requirement. By recovering the public nature of friendship, Schweitzer establishes discourse about affection and affiliation as a central component of American identity and democratic community.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Schweitzer's theme is original and complex. . . . [Provides] lively readings that engage with history and recent scholarship."
— Journal of American Studies

"An Intellectually intrepid study. . . . Thoughtful readings of four early American literary works. . . . Erudite and impressively researched analysis. . . . Ambitious and thought-provoking."
— Legacy

"Recommended."
— CHOICE

From the Inside Flap

Schweitzer explains that the contemporary notion of friendship as a private, feminized relationship of sympathy and affection leads to a misunderstanding of American history. In an exploration of early American literature and culture, she uncovers friendships built on a classical model that is both public and political in nature. Schweitzer begins with Aristotle's ideal of "perfect" friendship that positions freely chosen relationships among equals as the highest realization of ethical, social, and political bonds. Evidence in works by John Winthrop, Hannah Foster, James Fenimore Cooper, and Catharine Sedgwick confirms that this classical model shaped early American concepts of friendship and, thus, democracy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (December 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807830690
• ISBN-13: 978-0807830697
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,341,288 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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