Period introductions, headnotes, footnotes, and bibliographies have been extensively rewritten and updated to meet the needs of students and scholars in the twenty-first century. The presentation of the selections has been revised to clarify the rich connections between the literature and its social and historical contexts. Numerous annotations accompany the selections to facilitate understanding, but interpretive footnotes are avoided, ensuring an unbiased presentation that gives students the freedom to develop their own critical perspectives. Literary merit remains the criterion by which readings are selected. Period and author introductions make students aware of the connections between literature and social and intellectual history, and between literature and biography. A full-color art portfolio in each volume enriches students' understanding of the literature and the culture in which it was produced. Cultural Focus Boxes: Provide vivid exploration of one cultural aspect of a given literary period (for example, a publication story, how a book became a bestseller (like The Scarlet Letter), a look at women's clothing at the time of suffrage, a look at the art of the Harlem Renaissance in the context of Hurston, Hughes, etc. | 
2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education