Possible Pasts represents a landmark in early American studies; bringing to that field the theoretical richness and innovative potential of the scholarship on colonial discourse and postcolonial theory. Drawing on the methods and interpretive insights of history; anthropology; history of art; folklore; and textual analysis; its authors explore the cultural processes by which individuals and societies become colonial.Rather than define early America in terms of conventional geographical; chronological; or subdisciplinary boundaries; their essays span landscapes from New England to Peru; time periods from the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century; and topics from religion to race and novels to nationalism. In his introduction Robert Blair St. George offers an overview of the genealogy of ideas and key terms appearing in the book.Part I; "Interrogating America;" then challenges readers to rethink the meaning of "early America" and its relation to postcolonial theory. In Part II; "Translation and Transculturation;" essays explore how both Europeans and native peoples viewed such concepts as dissent; witchcraft; family piety; and race. The construction of individual identity and agency in Philadelphia is the focus of Part III; "Shaping Subjectivities." Finally; Part IV; "Oral Performance and Personal Power;" considers the ways in which political authority and gendered resistance were established in early America.
#1002409 in Books Cornell University Press 2009-07-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.80 x .60 x 6.10l; .70 #File Name: 0801475015224 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Could Not Put This Book DownBy AC_War and Shadows_ combines scholarly approach with real skill in storytelling; in a compact tome that makes surprisingly compulsive reading.I could not put this book down. The book probably will appeal most to three categories of reader: 1) those with an interest in contemporary Vietnamese culture and spiritual practice; 2) those with an interest in the Vietnam War; and 3) those with a general interest in comparative folklore/mythology and ghost stories.Mai Lan Gustafsson gives a fascinating account of the phenomenon of spirit possession and haunting in post-war Vietnam. As an ethnographic study; this book is an invaluable and unique window into modern Vietnamese culture. The spiritual beliefs and practices of contemporary Vietnamese are explored in the light of supernatural affliction; real or imagined.Gustafsson provides context for the phenomenon with sobering (and not often remembered) statistics of the Vietnam War; in which millions of Vietnamese lost their lives. She also corrects the sunny Western journalism on Vietnam; which asserts that everyone in Vietnam has cheerfully forgotten the war and moved on. As the book shows; the Vietnamese still bear deep scars. Although not a history of the War; this book would be of great interest to anyone seeking to understand the war from a Vietnamese perspective.On another level; anyone interested in ghost folklore would do well to add this book to his library. Thanks to Gustafsson's earnest; unadorned style; the people she interviews come to vivid life. Whether their supernatural afflictions are real or merely "in their heads;" some of the anecdotes of possession and ghostly attacks are downright chilling.This slim book is a true rarity: a scholarly work that is also a page-turner.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Harmful spirits caused by warBy Jade FeathersThis is a fascinating book for those interested in spirit attachment; mediumship; ancestor reverence; and Vietnam -- especially the cultural changes in the decades since North and South Vietnam were united.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A compelling readBy Christopher D. LoyWar and Shadows is finely grained ethnographic foray into the phenomenon of spirit possession in modern Vietnam. Resisting the temptation to reduce incidents of possession to psychological factors; Gustafsson offers context-rich descriptions of the lives of those afflicted by "angry ghosts"--often a restless family member who; due to the circumstances of a sudden and violent death during the war; was unable to receive a proper burial. Gustafsson brings an nuanced understanding of Vietnamese history; culture; and post-war politics to her analysis of the precipitous rise in hauntings in an increasingly cosmopolitan nation.
