American literature is profoundly, almost inescapably political. In this fascinating new anthology of original essays, ten leading scholars explore the ways in which American civic education has been informally advanced through literature. Delving into the works of authors ranging from Mark Twain to William Faulkner to Octavia Butler, these essays reflect on the close relationship between democracy and literature.

American literature is profoundly, almost inescapably political. America's most thoughtful authors long ago realized that it was through the novel, the novella, and the story that philosophic education of America's citizens would best be undertaken. In this fascinating new anthology of original essays, ten leading scholars explore the ways in which American civic education has been informally advanced through literature. Delving into the works of authors ranging from Mark Twain to William Faulkner to Octavia Butler, these essays reflect on the close relationship between democracy and literature. They convey an understanding that the greatest American literary works are also works of profound philosophical insight. Through careful analysis, Democracy's Literature illustrates that democracy and literature are natural partners, forging a relationship that America's greatest authors have long realized in their subtle efforts to craft a democratic public philosophy.

Chapter 1 Introduction: The Art of Democratic Literature
Chapter 2 Billy Budd and the Politics of Prudence
Chapter 3 Yankee Go Home: Mark Twain's Postcolonial Romance
Chapter 4 Tom Sawyer: Potential President
Chapter 5 Patriots and Philosophers: The Idea of Obligation and Race in William Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust
Chapter 6 A Story About Nothing: Two Kinds of Nihilists and One Kind of Christian in Flannery O'Connor's Good Country People
Chapter 7 Ralph Ellison's Invisible Men
Chapter 8 Go Tell It on the Mountain: James Baldwin and the Politics of Faith
Chapter 9 Vexed Genealogy: Octavia Butler and Political Memories of Slavery
Chapter 10 Hello Babies: Eliot Rosewater and the Art of Citizenship in the Graduation Speeches of Kurt Vonnegut
Chapter 11 The American Mystery Deepens: Hearing Tocqueville in Don DeLillo's White Noise