Ideology and Aesthetics in American Literature and Arts

This book includes contributions by African, East and West European, Asian and North American scholars which deal with and compare ideological and non-ideological approaches to the analysis of literary, artistic as well as popular works (popular music) mostly by American authors. Most of the essays deal with a way various aspects of American identity are depicted, represented, treated, ideologized and aestheticized in different literary genres, forms of art and media. The contributions offer multidisciplinary, cross-cultural and comparative perspectives and represent a diversity of scholarly voices ranging from the general discussion on the relationship between ideology and art (Anton Pokrivcak), ideology and multiculturalism (Cristina Garrigos). They also give the analysis of poetry (Pokrivcak, Obododima Oha), postmodern fiction (Pi-Hua Ni, Cristina Garrigos), drama (Zoe Detsi-Diamanti, Csaba Csapo) as well as the comparative analysis of the depiction of the identity of North American Indians in such different media as literature and film (Michal Peprnik). In addition to this, the book includes the analysis of Black rap music (Wojciech Kallas).