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Enough of Both Worlds: The Novels of E.P. Roe

Harrold-Doering, Ann
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu156629770205892

Abstract Details

1974, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, English.
This study of the novels of Edward Payson Roe, which were popular between 1872 and 1914, was based on the premise that the popular novel serves as a "mirror of life." It was found that Roe used a formula, "Enough of Both Worlds," to reflect and mould both the readers' spiritual and temporal lives. Analysis of the elements of this formula--the Situations, the Characters, and the Messages--provided insights into the attitudes, values, and critical concerns of the popular audience. Roe, a Presbyterian minister who left the pulpit to extend his ministry to a wider sphere through what he called "society sermons," was a popular if not an artistic success. The first and second chapters of this study surveyed his contemporary reputation, his life, and placed him into the context of his time. The experiences of Roe's life informed his novelistic ministry: man must have nurture enough for success in his practical as well as his religious life. The third, fourth, and fifth chapters analyzed the elements of the formula. The Situations provided plot, instruction, and interest to Roe's readers. The Characters were stereotypes which provided models and lessons and, at the same time, represented the ideals and aspirations of the democratic Christian nobility of American society. The Messages served to reveal the audience's need for faith, reassurance, and practical aid in their lives. Roe's novels provided a conservative basis of affirmative religion, practical instruction, and information which his readers used as a bulwark against the problems of their era. The sixth chapter showed the similarities in Roe's relation to his audience to that of later novelists. Representative works of C. M. Sheldon and H. B. Wright along with six modern novels were analyzed to compare and contrast Roe's era and the present. Vast differences were discovered between the worlds reflected in the "mirror of life." Although the bases for the popular formula have changed with different audiences, this study showed that the elements have remained stable. Thus, the method of analysis developed in this study of E. P. Roe provides a useful tool for future students of the popular novel.
Alma J. Payne (Advisor)
American Literature

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Harrold-Doering, A. (1974). Enough of Both Worlds: The Novels of E.P. Roe [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu156629770205892

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Harrold-Doering, Ann. Enough of Both Worlds: The Novels of E.P. Roe. 1974. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu156629770205892.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Harrold-Doering, Ann. "Enough of Both Worlds: The Novels of E.P. Roe." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 1974. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu156629770205892

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu156629770205892
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