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Critical Essay by John C. McCloskey
SOURCE: “Back-Country Folkways in Mrs. Kirkland's A New Home—Who'll Follow?,” Michigan History, Vol. 40, No. 3, September, 1956, pp. 297-308.
In the following essay, McCloskey examines Kirkland's depiction of western settlers in A New Home. Paying special attention to her realistic style and use of satire, McCloskey notes the manner in which Kirkland differed from other writers of the era who typically chose a more sentimental approach to their subject matter.
Backwoods life in Michigan from 1835-1836 Mrs. Caroline Matilda Stansbury Kirkland1 observed with an accuracy and a freshness which make her book of sketches A New Home—Who'll Follow? Or, Glimpses of Western Life (1839)2 a historical, literary, and social document of genuine interest, informative, and entertaining.
Writing in an age of literary sentimentalism and fed upon romantic tales, Mrs. Kirkland was, nevertheless, a realist and a comic satirist of considerable skill, who attempted to “body forth” an unvarnished picture...
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This section contains 5,012 words (approx. 17 pages at 300 words per page) |
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