Читать книгу American Quaker Romances. Building the Myth of the White Christian Nation онлайн

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Comparatively speaking, historical romances featuring Quaker protagonists, which comprise the primary sources selected for this book, constitute a small section of the Christian romance industry, but one that presents readers of inspirational fiction with a paradox that is worth exploring. Despite Darbyshire’s claim (2002) that Christian romances unequivocally promote the message of the Christian Right, this book’s thorough analysis of thirty-nine romances with Quaker protagonists will present a more complex reality. In general, the historical romances under scrutiny seem to offer a vision of U.S. history that stresses the country’s supposed origin as a White and Christian nation where men and women occupied separate spheres, in accordance with the tenets of the Christian Right. However, by featuring Quaker protagonists (typically females, though there are also some male main characters) they capitalize on the reputation of Quakerism, traditionally associated with progressive attitudes and the advancement of social justice, especially the abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage.