SOURCE: "Hamlin Garland and Reform," in The South Dakota Review, Vol. 10, No. 4, Winter, 1972-73, pp. 36-62.
In the following excerpt, Saum reviews the various reform movements that Garland promoted in his short stories and asserts that, despite his consideration of society's ills in his early works, Garland was initially optimistic regarding human potential. The critic also proposes that Garland's eventual rejection of fictional protest resulted from a waning of his optimism and the growing opposition to literary realism at the turn of the century.
This is a free excerpt of 85 words. There are 5,593 words (approx.
19 pages at 300 words per page) in the full critical essay.
Read the rest of this Criticism with our Garland, Hamlin 1860-1940: Critical Essay by Lewis O. Saum Access Pass.
