Mechanic Accents: Dime Novels and Working-Class Culture in America

Focusing on the intersection of American popular fiction and working-class culture, this study utilizes Marxist literary theory alongside American labor history. It examines the impact of the 19th-century rise in affordable novels among working-class readers, revealing how the "fiction question" evolved into a significant class issue. The analysis highlights the cultural implications of literature's accessibility and its role in shaping class identity and consciousness during this transformative period.