University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--English English 2019 Modern Charity: Morality, Politics, and Mid-Twentieth Century US Writing Matt Bryant Cheney University of Kentucky, [email protected] Author ORCID Identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8237-6295 Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2020.027 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Bryant Cheney, Matt, "Modern Charity: Morality, Politics, and Mid-Twentieth Century US Writing" (2019). Theses and Dissertations--English. 101. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/english_etds/101 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the English at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--English by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Matt Bryant Cheney, Student Dr. Michael Trask, Major Professor Dr. Michael Trask, Director of Graduate Studies MODERN CHARITY: MORALITY, POLITICS, AND MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY US WRITING DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Matt Bryant Cheney Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Michael Trask, Guy Davenport Chair in English Lexington, Kentucky 2019 Copyright © Matt Bryant Cheney 2019 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8237-6295 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION MODERN CHARITY: MORALITY, POLITICS, AND MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY US WRITING Scholars over the past two decades (Denning, Szalay, Edmunds, Robbins) have theorized the different ways literature of the Mid-Twentieth Century reflects the dawn of the US's so-called welfare state, brought about by the liberal ascendancy occasioned by the Great Depression. While these studies elaborate on the effect rapidly expanding public aid had on literary production of the period, many have tended to undervalue the lingering influence on midcentury storytelling of private charity and philanthropy, those traditional aid institutions fundamentally challenged by the Great Depression and historically championed by conservatives. If the welfare state had an indelible impact on US literatures, so did the moral complexity of the systems of charity and philanthropy it purportedly replaced. In my dissertation, I theorize modern charity as a cultural narrative that found expression in a number of different writers from the start of the Great Depression and into the early 1960s, including Harold Gray, Ralph Ellison, W.E.B. Du Bois, Flannery O'Connor, and Dorothy Day. KEYWORDS: US Literature, African American Literature, Southern Literature, Comics Studies, Charity and Philanthropy, Literature and Philosophy Matt Bryant Cheney (Name of Student) 4 September 2019 Date MODERN CHARITY: MORALITY, POLITICS, AND MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY US WRITING By Matt Bryant Cheney Michael Trask Director of Dissertation Michael Trask Director of Graduate Studies 4 September 2019 Date DEDICATION To Ashley. So It Goes. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are so many people who made this project possible. I would first like to thank my chair, Michael Trask, for his unwavering support throughout this process and, in fact, for convincing me to come to the University of Kentucky in the first place. I am grateful to Alan Nadel not only for his tireless attention to my writing but also for offering multiple opportunities to diversify my professional experience through archival research, conference planning, and preparing manuscripts for publication. Peter Kalliney was a great source of insight and encouragement, especially during the most difficult times in my writing. Stefan Bird- Pollan helped me understand the moral framework I was trying to work within and always seemed to ask the most helpful questions. These ideas emerged in seminars and discussions with Arnold Farr, Carol Mason, Nazera Wright, Janet Eldred, Ellen Rosenman, Andy Doolen, Gurney Norman, Dwight Billings, Srimati Basu, Michelle Sizemore, Jill Rappoport, and Pearl James. Finally, I am very grateful to the wonderful administrative staff in the English and WRD Departments at UK, particularly Kristen Pickett, Robin LaMer Rahija, and Jason Carr. I am honored to have had such wonderful grad school colleagues at the University of Kentucky. Hannah Ruehl was the first person to welcome Ashley and I to Lexington by opening up her home and making sure we were fed, encouraged, and comfortable. Pat Herald was an amazing mentor who I could always call on for advice, for encouragement, and for reliably good food and drink recommendations. Ashleigh Hardin saved my mental health countless times with her advice and encouragement. Rachel Carr has always been a friend, whether waiting too long for hotel pizza or iii having lunch at the same time as me every day without us planning. Kyle and Alex Eveleth taught me how to layer in cold weather and were always there to help. Jake Ferrington is a fountain of positive energy and helpfulness, and an excellent baker and dog walker to boot. Catherine Brereton and Susan Stewart were always there for advice on parenting teenagers, baking inspiration, and lovely conversation. I will always remember talking with Noor Alattar about the paradoxes of American democracy and how our families were doing. I think I learn something helpful every time I speak with Claire Lenviel, whose work ethic and intellect give me something to aspire to. Alex Menrisky was a reliably good reader, excellent neighbor, and pleasant cubicle mate. Bianca Spriggs is brilliant and a fabulous teaching group partner whose coloring book is my daughter’s favorite. Cate Gooch’s comments on an early draft were so convincing that I completely scrapped and rewrote the entire thing. Katie Waddell taught me how to fold cloth napkins, let my visiting family stay in her apartment during a blizzard, and was always willing to talk to me. Anyone would be lucky to have Craig Crowder as their neighborhood socialist and baseball buddy. Craig Slaven and Ben Wilson was always fun to talk to about Jesus and them southern books. President Jenna Goldsmith always made sure I paid attention to the important things. Guy Spriggs, Wes DeShano, Kadee Whaley, Deirdre Mikolajcik, Matt Gorum, Megan Pillow Davis, Nathan Allison, Ashley Ruderman-Loof, Jonathan Tinnin, Valerie Stevens, Leah Toth, Karen Little, Cristy Lopez-Baldwin, Jillian Winter, Jenn Murray, Leslie Malland, Gokce Tekeli, Anna Bedsole, Emily Handy, Delmar Reffett, Brittany Sulzener, Margaret Frymire Kelly, Richard Parmer, and so many others made the UK grad program a source of community and encouragement. I will always be iv grateful, especially, for the part so many above played in making mine and Ashley’s kids feel loved when they first came to share life with us. I am also grateful to my colleagues at Carson-Newman University, where I worked while composing over half of this dissertation. First and foremost, I wish to thank my staff in the Center for Community Engagement. Gabby Valentine has been the most consistent encourager and motivator in the office, reminding me each day to do my “dang” dissertation. Deanna Simpson Beavers secured and filed countless bits of paperwork and made too many site visits and meetings in my absence to keep her programs running and, even so, was always willing to take on a bit of paperwork or run errands to give me more time to work. Dave McNeely is always a source of friendship and idea sharing, suggesting helpful thoughts and books at every turn. My two Provosts, Paul Percy and Jeremy Buckner, always asked how the project was going and offered help at every turn, including teaching overloads to help pay my tuition at UK and funding to travel to conferences and archival research. My department chair, Shawn O’Hare, has always been there to give advice and help me navigate the uniqueness of my dual administrative/faculty appointment. My other colleagues in the English Department have also been a constant source of encouragement and commiseration throughout this entire process, always reassuring me, “you’ll get there” and “it’s going to be alright”: Susan Underwood, Jennifer Hall, Kip Wheeler, Josh Bivens, Wes McMasters, Damjana Mraovic- O’Hare, Shannon Collins, and even Mike Sobiech. I am indebted to Ami Hartsock, whose prompt Interlibrary Loan responses made acquiring research materials so much easier.