American Working Class Literature An Anthology 1st Edition by Janet Zandy, Nicholas Coles ISBN 0195144562 9780195144567

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ISBN 10: 0195144562
ISBN 13: 9780195144567
Author: Janet Zandy, Nicholas Coles

America’s workers have been singing, reciting, performing, telling stories, writing, and publishing for more than three centuries. Ranging from early colonial times to the present, American Working-Class Literature presents more than 300 literary texts that exemplify this tradition. It demonstrates how American working people live, labor, struggle, express themselves, and give meaning to their experiences both inside and outside of the workplace. The only book of its kind, this groundbreaking anthology includes work not only by the industrial proletariat but also by slaves and unskilled workers, by those who work unpaid at home, and by workers in contemporary service industries. As diverse in race, gender, culture, and region as America’s working class itself, the selections represent a wide range of genres including fiction, poetry, drama, memoir, oratory, journalism, letters, oral history, and songs. Works by little-known or anonymous authors are included alongside texts from such acclaimed writers as Frederick Douglass, Upton Sinclair, Tillie Olsen, Philip Levine, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Leslie Marmon Silko. A rich selection of contemporary writing includes Martin Espada’s poem “Alabanza” about the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.
American Working-Class Literature is organized chronologically into seven sections that highlight key historical and cultural developments in working-class life. The book is enhanced by an editors’ introduction, section introductions, and individual head notes for each selection that provide biographical and historical context. A timeline of working-class history, rich illustrations, sidebars, reading lists, and a bibliography of critical commentary are also included. This unique volume is ideal for courses in American literature, cultural and working-class studies, and labor history.

American Working-Class Literature An Anthology 1st Edition Table of contents:

Part I: Early Working-Class Voices

1. Colonial and Early American Workers

   • Selections from early American literature that depict the struggles and lives of early workers.
   • Excerpts from diaries, letters, and early labor-related writings.

2. Laboring Bodies and Early Industrial Work

   • Texts highlighting the experiences of laborers in early industrial America.
   • The role of women and children in early industrialization.

Part II: Industrialization and the Gilded Age

3. Workers in the Gilded Age

   • Writings that explore the rise of industrial labor in the late 19th century.
   • Excerpts from labor movements and social commentaries on exploitation and the growth of working-class culture.

4. The Rise of Labor Unions

   • Documents and narratives related to the development of labor unions in the late 19th century.
   • Famous labor strikes, including the Pullman Strike, and their portrayal in literature.

5. The Immigrant Experience in the Industrial Age

   • Writings reflecting the immigrant working class’s struggle to adjust to life in the U.S.
   • Stories from writers like Upton Sinclair and others that depict the immigrant labor experience.

Part III: The Great Depression and the Working-Class Struggle

6. The Great Depression and Working-Class Literature

   • Texts from the 1930s depicting the poverty, struggles, and resilience of workers during the Great Depression.
   • Selections from writers like John Steinbeck, Richard Wright, and others who explored the themes of economic hardship and injustice.

7. The Labor Movement During the Depression

   • Writings that chronicle the growth of labor movements during the 1930s.
   • The rise of new unions, the CIO, and the political and social movements that shaped working-class life.

Part IV: Post-World War II and Mid-Century Working-Class Literature

8. Postwar American Working-Class Literature

   • Writings from the post-World War II period that reflect the changing landscape of American labor and working-class life.
   • The shift in industrial work and the impact of postwar consumerism.

9. Working-Class Literature and the American Dream

   • Literature that critiques the idea of the American Dream, focusing on working-class aspirations, disillusionment, and challenges.
   • Works by authors like Richard Wright, Tillie Olsen, and others that explore working-class identity.

Part V: Contemporary Working-Class Literature

10. The New Working-Class Literature

    • Contemporary voices in working-class literature, from the 1970s to the present.
    • Writings that address the evolving nature of labor, including issues such as deindustrialization, automation, and globalization.

11. Feminism, Race, and Class in Working-Class Literature

    • Exploration of the intersectionality of race, gender, and class in contemporary working-class narratives.
    • Works that explore the experiences of working-class women, Black workers, and other marginalized groups.

12. Globalization and the Changing Working Class

    • Texts that examine how globalization, the decline of manufacturing, and the rise of the service economy have impacted American workers.
    • Contemporary perspectives on labor, protest, and economic inequality.

Part VI: Voices from the Streets

13. Poetry and Oral Histories

    • A selection of poetry and oral history that conveys the raw experiences of working-class individuals.
    • Personal accounts from workers in their own words, capturing their lives, struggles, and triumphs.

14. Working-Class Storytelling

    • A collection of short stories and narrative essays that showcase the diverse voices of American working-class writers.
    • Themes of resistance, solidarity, survival, and community.

Conclusion

• Reflections on the Future of Working-Class Literature
  • The evolution of working-class literature and its place in contemporary discussions about class, labor, and economic inequality.
  • What the future holds for the genre, and the continuing relevance of these voices in American literature.

Index

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