William Dean Howells, Annie Kilburn

Max Lester Loges (Lamar University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.2: American (US) Writing and Culture: The Nineteenth Century, 1783-1900.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1889

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Annie Kilburn was written during a time of great sorrow and consternation in the life of William Dean Howells. His sister, Victoria, had recently died from malaria and his daughter Winifred’s strange illness was growing worse. Furthermore, he was suffering repercussions from his recent call for clemency for the defendants in the Haymarket Riot trials. These troubles caused Howells, a man basically devoid of any faith in a supernatural religion, to seek some sort of identification with or commitment to something larger than himself -- something that calls forth that which is best within man. Howells found his answer in the philosophy of Leo Tolstoy, claiming that the famous author “was the human being with whom [he found …

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1232 words

Citation: Loges, Max Lester. "Annie Kilburn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 July 2016 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6575, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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