The brute vs. the snob -- inheritance and the self-made man in the American novel

Gottardi, Elizabeth A.

Student Work

The brute vs. the snob -- inheritance and the self-made man in the American novel

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Inheritance has profound effects on the way self-made men are viewed in American society. Interactions between the classes in four novels, written between 1849 and 1925, show a clear trend in the relationship. Over this 76 year period in fiction, the differences between inherited and earned wealth become more distinctive in our culture. This analysis will allow the reader to understand the authors' view on the different types of wealth and how they express their observations using characters and rhetoric.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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