Diversity,Conflict And Subversion

George Lippard’s best-known novel The Quaker City(1842,also known as The Monks of The Monk Hall)is widely recognized as the cornerstone of American city exposé fiction.This thesis,employing such spatial concepts as “physical space,”“psychological space” and “social space,” conducts a close reading of The Quaker City,in order to study Lippard’s reflections on various social problems in the first half of the nineteenth century,and to probe into Lippard’s suggestion of social reform in the transitional period of American society.The thesis is composed of five chapters.The first chapter mainly introduces Lippard’s life,literary achievements,the main plot of The Quaker City,literature review on Lippard and the novel as well as the significance and structure of the thesis.In the second chapter,by combing the images of ancient gothic houses in The Quaker City,the thesis explores Lippard’s probation into the amnesia to the founding history and the founding ideals in the first half of the nineteenth century;By analyzing the emerging urban space,Lippard’s dissatisfaction with the complex and chaotic urban space in the early days of industrialized urbanization is shown.The third chapter discusses the conflicts between gender and class in American social turbulence in the first half of the nineteenth century by analyzing the psychological space of the characters in The Quaker City.By analyzing the weak and complex psychology of the male and female roles,this thesis discusses the common and prevalent anxiety of the people at that time,and by analyzing the life philosophy of people from different classes,it explores Lippard’s critique of bourgeois hedonism and corruption,and his sympathy for the plight of the working class.The fourth chapter analyzes family space and public space in The Quaker City,and discusses the power struggle and the subversion of space.By analyzing the absence,betrayal and parody of family relations in the novel,the author explores the absence of family relations in society at that time,and by analyzing public spaces such as cellars,hotels and clubs(Monk Hall as an example),Lippard reveals the mysteries,darkness and crimes of the city and social life.Therefore,Lippard’s criticism of the corrupt social system and the degenerate bourgeoisie and his hope for social reform are illustrated.The fifth chapter is the conclusion of this thesis.In the midst of America’s rapid industrialization and urbanization,Lippard is acutely aware of social problems and the general anxiety of the public.Through the violent and pornographic narration of The Quaker City,Lippard gives his sympathy to the poverty of the working class,his attack on the corrupt social system and his opinions of social reform.