Considered to be one of America's great intellectuals, Thoreau was
deeply engaged in some of the most important social debates of his day
including slavery, the emergence of consumerism, the American Dream,
living on the frontier, the role of the government and the ecological
mind. As testimony to Thoreau's remarkable intellectual heritage, his
autobiography, essays and poetry still continue to inspire and attract
readers from across the globe.
As a celebration of H.D. Thoreau's Bicentenary (1817-1862), this edited
volume offers a re-reading of his works and reconsiders the influence
that his transcendentalist philosophy has had on American culture and
literature. Taking an intertextual perspective, the contributors to this
volume seek to reveal Thoreau's influence on American Literature and
Arts from the 19th century onwards and his fundamental contribution to
the development of 20th century American Literature. In particular, this
work presents previously unconsidered intertextual analyses of authors
that have been influenced by Thoreau's writings. This volume also
reveals how Thoreau's influence can be read across literary genres and
even seen in visual manifestations such as cinema.