Executions and the British Experience from the 17th to the 20th Century: A Collection of Essays - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0899504523 ISBN 13: 9780899504520

Publisher: McFarland Publishing, 1990

Synopsis

From the trial and execution of King Charles I of England in 1649 to the reading of A.E. Houseman's poems by Clarence Darrow in a Chicago murder trial in 1924, writers have registered their opinions and impressions of both public and private forms of execution. This collection of ten essays examines in detail the literary responses of various writers to the social issue of capital punishment during this four-century span. Several of the essays focus on one or two writers in particular-Henry Fielding and Samuel Johnson, for example. Others cover several writers or genres or apply insights from other disciplines (psychology, history, sociology) to make larger points about punishment, crime and crowd behavior. All of the essays seek to illuminate-by referring to the British experience in the past-what continues to be a controversial issue in United States society.

About this title

About the Author:

William B. Thesing, distinguished professor emeritus of English at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, taught graduate and undergraduate courses for more than 30 years. He has authored or edited fifteen books, and served as editor of the James Dickey Newsletter from 2003-2008.

Review:

"The best essays exhibiting a solid concentration of intellect on capital punishment" --South Atlantic Review

"Well-written and perceptive essays" --The Georgia Review

"Well-written and perceptive essays" --The Georgia Review.

About this edition

• Publisher: McFarland Publishing
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0899504523
• ISBN 13: 9780899504520
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 180
• Editor: Thesing William B.