The Rites of Assent: Transformations in the Symbolic Construction

Between the Revolution and the Civil War there developed in the United States a new culture - modern and liberal. With a new vision of community and nationality and an interwoven set of institutions (legal, political and religious), it had as a 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 the work of classic American writers - Hawthorne, Melville, and Emerson. Bercovitch's focus is broadly cultural, emphasizing the connection between politics and language, popular and high literature, social action and creative expression. His book will be valuable reading for Americanists in every field, and to students of literature and culture.