First published between 1982 and 1983, this series examines the peculiarly American cultural context out of which the nation’s literature has developed. Covering the years from 1620 to 1930, these four volumes present a coherent, consecutive and comprehensive sequence of interpretations of major American texts, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. Every chapter includes an extract from the chosen text which serves as a springboard for wider discussion and analysis. Each analysis demonstrates how students can move into and then from the pages of literature to a consideration of the whole text, and thence to an understanding of the author’s oeuvre and of the cultural moment in which he or she lived and wrote.This set will be a valuable resource for students of American literature and American studies.