JOURNAL ARTICLE

California Dreams and American Contradictions: Women Writers and the Western Ideal by Monique McDade (review).

Published In: Western American Literature, 2024, v. 59, n. 1. P. 83 1 of 3
Database: America: History and Life with Full Text 2 of 3
Authored By: Doane, Margaret 3 of 3

Abstract

Monique McDade's book, "California Dreams and American Contradictions: Women Writers and the Western Ideal," explores the works of women writers in the American West between 1870 and 1945. McDade argues that these writers, including Helen Hunt Jackson, María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, Sui Sin Far, Eva Rutland, and Joan Didion, used dominant literary forms to challenge the contradictions between American individualism and equality. McDade examines how these writers adapted popular genres and literary modes to create critical reflections and alternative narratives for liberal personhood. The book highlights the ways in which these women writers negotiated cultural agendas and presented messages of greater inclusion and regional identity. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

Source:Western American Literature. 2024/04, Vol. 59, Issue 1, p83
Document Type:Article
Subject Area:History
Publication Date:2024
ISSN:0043-3462
DOI:10.1353/wal.2024.a933087
Accession Number:178680449
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