D H Lawrence

Studies in Classic American Literature D H Lawrence

In these "studies" Lawrence -with what seems an attempt at humorous criticism- mocks and insults the early creators of American literature. His capricious and snobbish prose mars what could have been serious studies of the American heart and soul of the budding nation. The perspective provided by more than a century and a half of years is not favorable to Lawrence. His "studies," seemed today the rantings of a writer with very little self-esteem. Nevertheless, his criticism has much socially redeeming value today if we wish to understand the spirit that made the United States a world power. Lawrence reviews the works of such authors as Ben Franklin, Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, Fennimore Cooper and Whitman.