The Rites of Assent

Between the Revolution and the Civil War there developed in the United States something dramtically new: a modern liberal culture, replete with a new vision of community and nationality, an interwoven set of institutions (legal, political and religious), and, as the link between all these, a complex system of symbols, rituals, and beliefs. The subject of "The Rites of Assent" is the growth of this symbolic economy. Sacvan Bercovitch traces its origins back to the colonial period, and specifically to the legacy of early New England. He analyses the manifold functions of "America" - as a view of history, a spiritual ideal, a myth of origins, and a mode of identity - in the work of influential figures from the Revolution to the Civil War. The major part of the book explores these themes in three classic American writers - Hawthorne, Melville, and Emerson. The focus of this book is broadly cultural, emphasizing the connection between politics and language, popular and high literature, social action and creative expression. It is a book which will be essential reading for Americanists in every field, and to students of literature and culture.