The Imaginary Puritan: Literature, Intellectual Labor, and the Origins of Personal Life

Nancy Armstrong and Leonard Tennenhouse challenge traditional accounts of the origins of modern Anglo-American culture by focusing on the emergence of print culture in England and the North American colonies. They argue that a modern middle class, consisting of authors and intellectuals, wrote a new culture into being, with Milton's Paradise Lost marking the transition. The popularity of Paradise Lost was matched by Indian captivity narratives, emphasizing the ordinary person's ability to regain lost origins.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 13 May 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

Nancy Armstrong and Leonard Tennenhouse present a compelling reinterpretation of the origins of modern Anglo-American culture by delving into the emergence of print culture in England and the North American colonies. They propose the existence of a modern middle class, comprised of authors and intellectuals, who played a pivotal role in shaping a new cultural landscape. Milton's Paradise Lost serves as a significant marker of this transformation, as the authors illustrate how Milton contributed to the development of an enclosed society characterized by self-contained individuals. While Paradise Lost gained immense popularity, the authors note that the Indian captivity narratives originating from the American colonies also enjoyed widespread acclaim. Mary Rowlandson's account of her forced separation from her cultural roots highlights the resilience of the ordinary person in reclaiming their lost origins, as long as they remain true to their English identity. In a colonial twist on the Miltonic paradigm, Rowlandson aimed to recreate a family akin to the one portrayed in Milton's depiction of the fallen world. Consequently, the origins of modern English culture and the English novel can be traced back to North America. American captivity narratives set the stage for the ideal of personal life that would be replicated in the communities depicted by Defoe, Richardson, and subsequent domestic fiction. This title is part of UC Press' Voices Revived program, which celebrates the University of California Press' commitment to discovering and nurturing exceptional minds, providing them with a platform to articulate their ideas, reach a wider audience, and have a lasting impact. Voices Revived leverages a backlist dating back to 1893, employing print-on-demand technology to make high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once more. Originally published in 1992, this title contributes to the ongoing exploration of cultural heritage and intellectual discourse.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520359987