William Dean Howells
ウィリアム・ディーン・ハウエルズ
William Dean Howells
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1837-03-01 （Martins Ferry (formerly Martinsville), Ohio, U.S.）
- Died
- 1920-05-11 （Manhattan, New York, U.S.） age 83
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Swedenborgian background / influenced by Christian socialism
- Residence History
- Venice (served as U.S. consul) → Cambridge, Massachusetts → Boston, Massachusetts → New York City, New York → Kittery Point, Maine (summer house) → York Harbor, Maine → Belmont, Massachusetts (Redtop)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, literary critic, playwright, diplomat (consul), editor, essayist
- Active Years
- 1856-1920
- Affiliations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Influenced By
- Leo Tolstoy, Henrik Ibsen, Émile Zola
- Influenced
- Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Hamlin Garland, Paul Laurence Dunbar
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 選出 |
Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters
1904
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Rise of Silas Lapham
1885 Novel (Realism)Through the rise and fall of entrepreneur Silas Lapham, the novel examines the morals and social issues of the emerging American bourgeoisie.
social statusmorality and consciencecapitalism and ethics
A Traveler from Altruria
1894 Novel (utopian / social critique)Using a visitor from the utopian Altruria, the novel critiques American society and questions the need for social reform.
social critiqueideal societyeconomic inequality
A Modern Instance
1882 Novel (Realism)Depicting the decay of a marriage, the novel explores tensions between individual lives and society; a notable example of Howells' realism.
marriage and domestic lifeindividual failuresocial reality
Bibliography
- Venetian Life
- Their Wedding Journey
- A Modern Instance
- The Rise of Silas Lapham
- A Traveler from Altruria
- Christmas Every Day
Adaptations
- Christmas Every Day (TV film, 1996)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realist, fact-oriented proseConcise, observation-based descriptionEthical perspective on social issues
- Recurring Motifs
- depictions of everyday lifeclass and economymoral dilemmas
Health
-
Influenza1920（晩年）Contributed to his death
Legacy
A pioneer of American realism called "The Dean of American Letters." As an editor he nurtured younger writers and left a lasting influence through his socially aware criticism and novels.
Museums
- William Dean Howells House (Cambridge) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
- William Dean Howells Memorial House (Kittery Point) Kittery Point, Maine, U.S.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
Archives
- Columbia University Rare Book & Manuscript Library (William Dean Howells papers)
- Harvard University — Howells-related collections
- Library of Congress
In Popular Culture
- Short story "Christmas Every Day" (adapted to film/TV)
Quotes
-
I hope the time is coming when not only the artist, but the common, average man... will have also the courage to apply it, and will reject the ideal grasshopper wherever he finds it...
Source: Criticism / Essay (1891)
Trivia
- Nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters."
- Served as U.S. Consul to Venice from 1861 to 1865.
- As an editor at The Atlantic Monthly and Harper's he supported younger writers.
- His son John Mead Howells became an architect.