Includes bibliographical references (pages 77-83) and index.

"American Naturalism and the Jews examines the unabashed anti-Semitism of five notable American naturalist novelists otherwise known for their progressive social values. Hamlin Garland, Frank Norris, and Theodore Dreiser all pushed for social improvements for the poor and oppressed, while Edith Wharton and Willa Cather both advanced the public status of women. But they also expressed strong prejudices against the Jewish race and faith throughout their writings, producing a contradiction in American literacy history that has stymied scholars and, until now, gone largely unexamined. In this study, Donald Pizer confronts this disconcerting strain of anti-Semitism pervading American letters and culture, illustrating how easily prejudice can coexist with even the most progressive ideals."--Jacket.

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