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An Imperative Duty
An Imperative Duty is a novel by William Dean Howells, first published in 1892. The story follows the life of a young woman named Isabel Lawrence who is forced to confront the social norms and expectations of her time. Isabel is a strong-willed and independent woman who is determined to live her life on her own terms, despite the pressures of society.The novel begins with Isabel living in Boston with her mother and sister. She is engaged to a wealthy man named Cyril Scott, but she is not entirely happy with the arrangement. Isabel is torn between her desire for independence and her sense of duty to her family and society.As the story progresses, Isabel meets and falls in love with a young lawyer named Basil March. Basil is a progressive thinker who challenges Isabel's beliefs and encourages her to pursue her dreams. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Basil is already married.Throughout the novel, Isabel must navigate the complexities of love, duty, and social expectations. She must decide whether to follow her heart or conform to the expectations of those around her. In the end, Isabel must make a difficult choice that will determine the course of her life.An Imperative Duty is a thoughtful and engaging novel that explores the themes of love, duty, and individualism. Howells' writing is insightful and nuanced, and his characters are complex and well-developed. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in the literature of the late 19th century.""They're not so very common, and they're not so very well ascertained. You find them mentioned in the books, but vaguely, and on a kind of hearsay, without the names of persons and places; it's a notion that some writers rather like to toy with; but when you come to boil it down, as the newspapers say, there isn't a great deal of absolute fact there.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1892
About the author
William Dean Howells
1,206 books100 followersWillam Dean Howells (1837-1920) was a novelist, short story writer, magazine editor, and mentor who wrote for various magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and Harper's Magazine.
In January 1866 James Fields offered him the assistant editor role at the Atlantic Monthly. Howells accepted after successfully negotiating for a higher salary, but was frustrated by Fields's close supervision. Howells was made editor in 1871, remaining in the position until 1881.
In 1869 he first met Mark Twain, which began a longtime friendship. Even more important for the development of his literary style — his advocacy of Realism — was his relationship with the journalist Jonathan Baxter Harrison, who during the 1870s wrote a series of articles for the Atlantic Monthly on the lives of ordinary Americans.
He wrote his first novel, Their Wedding Journey, in 1872, but his literary reputation took off with the realist novel A Modern Instance, published in 1882, which described the decay of a marriage. His 1885 novel The Rise of Silas Lapham is perhaps his best known, describing the rise and fall of an American entrepreneur of the paint business. His social views were also strongly represented in the novels Annie Kilburn (1888), A Hazard of New Fortunes (1890), and An Imperative Duty (1892). He was particularly outraged by the trials resulting from the Haymarket Riot.
His poems were collected during 1873 and 1886, and a volume under the title Stops of Various Quills was published during 1895. He was the initiator of the school of American realists who derived, through the Russians, from Balzac and had little sympathy with any other type of fiction, although he frequently encouraged new writers in whom he discovered new ideas.
Howells also wrote plays, criticism, and essays about contemporary literary figures such as Henrik Ibsen, Émile Zola, Giovanni Verga, Benito Pérez Galdós, and, especially, Leo Tolstoy, which helped establish their reputations in the United States. He also wrote critically in support of American writers Hamlin Garland, Stephen Crane, Emily Dickinson, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Sarah Orne Jewett, Charles W. Chesnutt, Abraham Cahan, Madison Cawein,and Frank Norris. It is perhaps in this role that he had his greatest influence. In his "Editor's Study" column at the Atlantic Monthly and, later, at Harper's, he formulated and disseminated his theories of "realism" in literature.
In 1904 he was one of the first seven people chosen for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, of which he became president.
Howells died in Manhattan on May 11, 1920. He was buried in Cambridge Cemetery in Massachusetts.
Noting the "documentary" and truthful value of Howells' work, Henry James wrote: "Stroke by stroke and book by book your work was to become, for this exquisite notation of our whole democratic light and shade and give and take, in the highest degree documentary."
In January 1866 James Fields offered him the assistant editor role at the Atlantic Monthly. Howells accepted after successfully negotiating for a higher salary, but was frustrated by Fields's close supervision. Howells was made editor in 1871, remaining in the position until 1881.
In 1869 he first met Mark Twain, which began a longtime friendship. Even more important for the development of his literary style — his advocacy of Realism — was his relationship with the journalist Jonathan Baxter Harrison, who during the 1870s wrote a series of articles for the Atlantic Monthly on the lives of ordinary Americans.
He wrote his first novel, Their Wedding Journey, in 1872, but his literary reputation took off with the realist novel A Modern Instance, published in 1882, which described the decay of a marriage. His 1885 novel The Rise of Silas Lapham is perhaps his best known, describing the rise and fall of an American entrepreneur of the paint business. His social views were also strongly represented in the novels Annie Kilburn (1888), A Hazard of New Fortunes (1890), and An Imperative Duty (1892). He was particularly outraged by the trials resulting from the Haymarket Riot.
His poems were collected during 1873 and 1886, and a volume under the title Stops of Various Quills was published during 1895. He was the initiator of the school of American realists who derived, through the Russians, from Balzac and had little sympathy with any other type of fiction, although he frequently encouraged new writers in whom he discovered new ideas.
Howells also wrote plays, criticism, and essays about contemporary literary figures such as Henrik Ibsen, Émile Zola, Giovanni Verga, Benito Pérez Galdós, and, especially, Leo Tolstoy, which helped establish their reputations in the United States. He also wrote critically in support of American writers Hamlin Garland, Stephen Crane, Emily Dickinson, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Sarah Orne Jewett, Charles W. Chesnutt, Abraham Cahan, Madison Cawein,and Frank Norris. It is perhaps in this role that he had his greatest influence. In his "Editor's Study" column at the Atlantic Monthly and, later, at Harper's, he formulated and disseminated his theories of "realism" in literature.
In 1904 he was one of the first seven people chosen for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, of which he became president.
Howells died in Manhattan on May 11, 1920. He was buried in Cambridge Cemetery in Massachusetts.
Noting the "documentary" and truthful value of Howells' work, Henry James wrote: "Stroke by stroke and book by book your work was to become, for this exquisite notation of our whole democratic light and shade and give and take, in the highest degree documentary."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 30, 2020
(My ranking of Howells' best novels: https://azleslie.com/posts/howells-ra...)
Howells' passing novella is probably as good as one could expect of a white author in 1891, which is to say, still not that good. It is sympathetic but paternalistic; it follows a couple compelling psychological threads but misses many. The most glaring problem for an attempt to depict the issue of passing is the near-absence of any black characters besides the "tragic mulatta" figure herself. Howells' commitment to realism augments this shortcoming: he feels compelled to depict Rhoda as disgusted by the black people that before her revelation she found "quaint" or "charming" and whatnot. This makes sense at the level of character, but without sufficient foils it makes the novella really suffer at the level of plot.
Howells' passing novella is probably as good as one could expect of a white author in 1891, which is to say, still not that good. It is sympathetic but paternalistic; it follows a couple compelling psychological threads but misses many. The most glaring problem for an attempt to depict the issue of passing is the near-absence of any black characters besides the "tragic mulatta" figure herself. Howells' commitment to realism augments this shortcoming: he feels compelled to depict Rhoda as disgusted by the black people that before her revelation she found "quaint" or "charming" and whatnot. This makes sense at the level of character, but without sufficient foils it makes the novella really suffer at the level of plot.
July 3, 2012
It was painful to read. As far as the "Tragic Mullata" genre goes, there are far better ones out there.
October 7, 2022
Racism
February 21, 2013
A problematic text aiming to address the slacktivism of the realist era. It was enjoyable, though hard to read at times with its explicit depictions of racist attitudes. Ultimately, I don't think Howells managed to change anyone's mind in 1891.
January 29, 2008
Questions of race, identity, science, and law in the 19th century are absolutely fascinating topics, which are interestingly dealt with in this short novella.
October 13, 2012
Read this for my American Realism class. Didn't find it terrible, and after reading Huck Finn it was a much quicker read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews