Ties That Bind: American Fiction and the Origins of Social Network Analysis DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Adam Charles Stier, M.A. Graduate Program in English The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Dr. David Herman, Advisor Dr. Brian McHale Dr. James Phelan Copyright by Adam Charles Stier 2013 Abstract Under the auspices of the digital humanities, scholars have recently raised the question of how current research on social networks might inform the study of fictional texts, even using computational methods to “quantify” the relationships among characters in a given work. However, by focusing on only the most recent developments in social network research, such criticism has so far neglected to consider how the historical development of social network analysis—a methodology that attempts to identify the rule-bound processes and structures underlying interpersonal relationships—converges with literary history. Innovated by sociologists and social psychologists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including Georg Simmel (chapter 1), Charles Horton Cooley (chapter 2), Jacob Moreno (chapter 3), and theorists of the “small world” phenomenon (chapter 4), social network analysis emerged concurrently with the development of American literary modernism. Over the course of four chapters, Ties That Bind demonstrates that American modernist fiction coincided with a nascent “science” of social networks, such that we can discern striking parallels between emergent network-analytic procedures and the particular configurations by which American authors of this period structured (and more generally imagined) the social worlds of their stories. For instance, I argue that Henry James’s works of psychological realism dramatize early theories about the dynamics of mutual acquaintanceship. Frank Norris’s naturalist “Epic of the Wheat” ii novels invoke period discourses of a densely networked “mind of the world.” John Dos Passos’s panoramic U.S.A. trilogy models “sociometric” systems for quantifying the fleeting contacts of modern life. Finally, the hard-boiled crime stories of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler engage imaginatively with network-analytic procedures by representing detection itself as a form of social network analysis. An important but understudied facet of modern American fiction, this convergence—between assemblages of characters in fictional narratives, on one hand, and foundational network concepts, on the other—suggests that literary and social- scientific treatments of social networks are more closely interrelated than scholars have so far assumed. Outlining a genealogy that reveals some of these interrelations, my project argues that the study of character groupings in fictional texts and research on the early developments of social network theory can be brought into a productive, mutually informing dialogue with one another. In this way, I sketch an approach that integrates formal with historical and cultural methods of inquiry, probing how attention to character configurations in modern American fiction can shed light on some of the basic questions motivating network science, and not just vice versa. iii To Christine iv Acknowledgments Ever since my research for this project led me to Robin Dunbar’s How Many Friends Does One Person Need?, a related question has been at the back of my mind: “How Many Friends Does One Person Writing a Dissertation Need?” From my own experience, I can attest that the answer is: a heckuva lot. I can’t thank enough the members of my dissertation committee for all that they have invested in this project. I am especially grateful to my advisor David Herman for his insight, thoroughness, enthusiasm, and magnanimity in all things. This dissertation simply would not exist without his dedicated mentorship. In addition to his careful review of my work and his incisive recommendations, Jim Phelan has modeled what it means to participate actively and generously in a community of scholars. Brian McHale, whose course on narrative theory laid the groundwork for this study, offered invaluable feedback throughout the drafting process. My wonderful teachers, students, and colleagues at Ohio State contributed to this project in countless ways. Elizabeth Renker’s helpful advice on early versions of this manuscript made me a better writer. Anne Fields, Aman Garcha, and Kay Halasek each provided support and wisdom at pivotal moments in my graduate career. I am indebted to every member of Jim Phelan’s potluck group; their attentive listening and constructive suggestions over the course of many months improved this project. I’m also grateful to have received the Ohio State Graduate School’s Presidential Fellowship, v which allowed me to complete this dissertation in a timely fashion. Andrew Kopec was the first person I met during my first day at Ohio State, and for that I am very fortunate. His smart feedback on my writing, sage advice on life in general, and steady friendship have benefited me greatly. Many friends gave of their time and energy in ways that made this project possible; I owe a debt of gratitude to Jake and Nichole Redinger, Andrew and Corrie Patterson, Peter and Sam VanDerPuy, Aaron and Ashley Wilcox, and Mary White. Joe and Josie Haack, J.J. and Sara Krumlauf, and Dave and Cheryl Murray Miyamasu have been constant sources of encouragement. Ben and Lily Glass have extended companionship beyond compare, and taught me a lot along the way. I thank all of my friends at Grace Central Presbyterian Church for their perspective and their prayers. My family has been with me through every twist and turn. I am grateful to the Schneider and Helwig clans for providing so much joy and laughter. The ways in which Janet Thom has graciously served our family during this time are too many to name. My sister Christine and brother Eric have been patient and sympathetic listeners, even when my ramblings put them to the test. I would not have been able to complete this project without the unwavering support and generosity of my parents Chuck and Debbie—even if they weren’t my parents, the frequency of dog-sitting alone would have merited acknowledgment. Theodore Stier was born during the writing of this dissertation, and his humor, warmth, and energy inspired me through every page thereafter. Aside from the many tangible ways she has bolstered this dissertation, Christine Stier has been my strong bond, my un-snappable link, and the center of my constellation. To her I offer deepest thanks. vi Vita 2002........................................................................Beavercreek High School 2006........................................................................B.A. English, Miami University 2008........................................................................M.A. English, The Ohio State University 2008 to 2012.........................................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of English, The Ohio State University 2012 to present....................................................Presidential Fellow, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: English vii Table of Contents Abstract...................................................................................................................................ii Dedication..............................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................v Vita ........................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures........................................................................................................................x Introduction: Character Configurations and/as Social Networks ......................................1 What is a Social Network?..........................................................................................3 Narrative Theory, Digital Humanities, and Network Approaches to Character....................................................................................................................5 Network Constraints: From Theme to Form.......................................................15 Why Then?: Some Historical Context...................................................................20 Why Now?: Network Analysis and Methodology..............................................23 Outline of the Chapters..............................................................................................26 Chapter 1: “The link had snapped”: Henry James and the Emergence of Social Network Theory.....................................................................................................35 Georg Simmel and the Study of Network Dynamics .........................................38 Narrating the Forbidden Triad: “The Friends of the Friends”........................44 The Princess Casamassima and the Politics of Mutual Acquaintanceship........63 James’s Tragic Hubs...................................................................................................80 viii Chapter 2: The Mind of the World: Imaginative Contact in Frank Norris’s Wheat Novels..............................................................................................91