| Despite several re-introductions, the works of Dawn Powell have received very little scholarly attention. This study provides a critical structure for the study of Powell's novels and places them in the context of American literature.; Recent theories of regionalism provide a framework for discussing the primary, and diverse, settings of Powell's novels: the Midwest and New York City. The realism of Powell's Ohio novels bears comparison to such Midwestern realists as Sherwood Anderson and Sinclair Lewis, but the introspective nature of the novels separates them from the scathing satire of some early twentieth-century regionalist novels. Powell displayed her satiric strength in her fast-paced New York novels, which fall squarely in the tradition of Menippean satire. Mikhail Bakhtin's explication of this eclectic form of satire provides a context in which to understand Powell's fragmented narratives. Though these two regions never fully united in Powell's works, the division between them is not as sharp as some critics suggest.; Powell's novels are here discussed in three groups: the Ohio novels, the New York novels, and "convergence" novels, which offer a close look at provincials striving to make it in New York City. Within each chapter, the novels are discussed thematically, rather than discretely, to allow for closer comparison between the narratives. The final chapter is devoted to a discussion of Powell's legacy, putting her in the context of other humorists, particularly women, and suggesting a place for her in the American canon. |
