NeMLA Roundtable: Genre of the Sketch in Long 19-century American Literature
As one of the most versatile genres in long 19th Century American literature, the sketch appears in a variety of forms, including short stories, parts of longer novels, essays, biographies, brief plays, poetry, and more. What characteristics, if any, unite this breathtakingly diverse genre? Without a common theme or style, sketches change radically over time and between authors. Some sketch writers endeavor to render characters, scenes, or events from real life, like Louisa May Alcott when she recounts her experiences as a Civil War nurse in Hospital Sketches. Similarly, regionalist writers such as Francis Parkman, George Washington Cable, or Bret Harte present impressions of people and places.