Beyond the myth of violence: Negativity, experience and identity in the early American novel

Although the pervasiveness and prevalence of violence in American culture has been fairly commented upon in the last decades, the specific way American novels embrace this theme has not yet been fully explored. Indeed, the common preconception that violence is an objective, recognizable phenomenon has limited one’s understanding of the original and radical manner early American novels in particular deal with this motif. This article argues that the first novels published in the United States challenge familiar notions and preconceptions, as their reflection on the negativity of all experience and on the rhizomatic nature of violence calls for a redefinition of nation, self, and of the principles of artistic creation.