How Long to Read Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America

How Long Does it Take to Read Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America?

It takes the average reader 4 hours and 49 minutes to read Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America by Elsa Nettels

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

No other American novelist has written so fully about language—grammar, diction, the place of colloquialism and dialect in literary English, the relation between speech and writing—as William Dean Howells. The power of language to create social, political, and racial identity was of central concern to Americans in the nineteenth century, and the implications of language in this regard are strikingly revealed in the writings of Howells, the most influential critic and editor of his age. In this first full-scale treatment of Howells as a writer about language, Elsa Nettels offers a historical overview of the social and political implications of language in post-Civil War America. Chapters on controversies about linguistic authority, American versus British English, literary dialect, and language and race relate Howells's ideas at every point to those of his contemporaries—from writers such as Henry James, Mark Twain, and James Russell Lowell to political figures such as Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and John Hay. The first book to analyze in depth and detail the language of Howells's characters in more than a dozen novels, this path-breaking sociolinguistic approach to Howells's fiction exposes the fundamental contradiction in his realism and in the America he portrayed. By representing the speech that separates standard from nonstandard speakers, Howells's novels—which champion the democratic ideals of equity and unity—also demonstrate the power of language to reinforce barriers of race and class in American society. Drawing on unpublished letters of Howells, James, Lowell, and others and on scores of articles in nineteenth-century periodicals, this work of literary criticism and cultural history reaches beyond the work of one writer to address questions of enduring importance to all students of American literature and society.

How long is Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America?

Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America by Elsa Nettels is 279 pages long, and a total of 72,261 words.

This makes it 94% the length of the average book. It also has 88% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 6 hours and 34 minutes to read Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America aloud.

What Reading Level is Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America?

Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America?

Language, Race, and Social Class in Howells's America by Elsa Nettels is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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