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Summary Of My Kinsman, Major Molineux

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In 1820, great change began to sweep through the United States in the form of the Industrial Revolution. This brought about electrifying change in America, and the possibilities of city life were intriguing to those of the time. The city alluded to curiosity, independence, and endless possibility. The introduction of new technologies, changing ideals, and the rush of urbanization, while exciting, also brought controversy and the fear of large city life. The rush from a rural to urban lifestyle caused confusion and the need for instant conformity. Among some of the first to voice these concerns in their work were writers of the time such as Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both authors recognize the unpredictable, destructive aspects that are associated with rapid urban growth and use similar literary styles to convey these to their readers through the misperception and anxiety associated with urbanization. Hawthorne writes of the protagonist search for conformity, and the toxic results that can derive from the inability to attain it. Poe, however, chooses to concentrate his writing on the risks of indistinctness in a crowd, and the damaging effect that strict conformity can have on urban residents.

In “My Kinsman, Major Molineux”, the main character Robin travels to America in search of connections that will help him gain a new profession by the assistance of an old relative. When making the shift from a rural to urban environment, Robin soon learns that this

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