Balancing the Books: Faulkner, Morrison and the Economies of Slavery

Balancing the Booksrepresents a sophisticated examination of the engagement of American literature with the economies of slavery through the works of William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. Both Faulkner and Morrison write about the relationship between race, identity, and history, and about how the legacies of slavery linger in the lives and actions of their characters, although the narrative strategies through which they render these themes ultimately diverge. Dussere addresses notions of of debt and repayment, exchange and accounting, and capital and the market bringing them into dialogue with the work of Faulkner and Morrison to produce an outstanding work of literary and cultural criticism.