A Novel as Archive

A roundtable discussion on Frances E. W. Harper's novel, Iola Leroy, about the Civil War and Reconstruction is held at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. The participants, including Jim Downs, Rhae Lynn Barnes, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Rashauna Jo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Civil War history 2023-12, Vol.69 (4), p.65
Main Author: Downs, Jim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
American Civil War
Dialects
Historical fiction
Novels
Slavery
War
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A roundtable discussion on Frances E. W. Harper's novel, Iola Leroy, about the Civil War and Reconstruction is held at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. The participants, including Jim Downs, Rhae Lynn Barnes, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Rashauna Johnson, and John Stauffer, discuss the significance of archives and the challenges of uncovering the lives of enslaved and oppressed people. They also explore the themes of language, dialect, and sentimentality in Harper's novel, as well as its critique of racial essentialism and its portrayal of Black troops in the war. The participants highlight the historical accuracy of the novel and its importance in preserving the African American experience during this period.
ISSN:0009-8078
1533-6271