Sacvan Bercovitch

Author and critic of American literature

Sacvan Bercovitch - Author and critic of American literature
Born

1933
92 years ago

Died

December 9th, 2014
10 years ago — 81 years old

Category

Thinkers & Philosophers

Country

Canada

Links & References

Contributed significantly to the study of American literature as an author, critic, and academic. Explored the role of Puritanism in American thought and literature. His work often centered around themes of identity and cultural representation. Served as a professor at several prestigious universities, influencing many students and scholars in the field. Published influential texts that examined the complexities of the American literary canon.

Authored 'The Puritan Origins of the American Mind'

Edited 'The Cambridge History of American Literature'

Developed the concept of the American literary marketplace

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