Cross-Examinations of Law and Literature

Examining antebellum American fiction through the lens of legal thought, this work reveals the interplay between literature and contemporary legal issues. Each chapter focuses on specific texts, such as Cooper's and Hawthorne's works addressing property law, Melville's explorations of slavery and worker exploitation, and Stowe's critique of societal norms. The analysis highlights how these literary pieces both reflect and challenge the legal ideologies of their time, culminating in a discussion of legal formalism's rise post-Civil War through Melville's "Billy Budd."