Gender Protest and Same-Sex Desire in Antebellum American Literature

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Exploring the theme of same-sex desire, this work highlights the concept of 'gender protest' in the writings of notable antebellum authors such as Margaret Fuller, Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Greven reveals how these writers confronted taboo subjects, skillfully employing diverse rhetorical techniques to articulate complex ideas about sexuality and gender. The book expands the understanding of the challenges and possibilities in expressing same-sex desire during a time of social constraints.