Summary: Publisher Summary 1 The sexually and emotionally unavailable male, resolutely ungraspable, elusive, a hermetically sealed vessel of chastity and purity emerged as an idiosyncratic figure in 19th-century American writing, says Greven (English, Connecticut College), and he investigates where that man came from and what he was doing here. Through works by Irving, Cooper, Hawthorne, Poe, Stowe, and Melville, he traces the development of a white, middle-class, Northern identity in the antebellum US that reflected fears as the birth rate dropped, that the new country would not be able to generate its future. Annotation 漏2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)   Publisher Summary 2 02This book explores the construction of male sexuality in nineteenth century American literature and comes up with some startling findings. Far from desiring heterosexual sex and wishing to bond with other men through fraternity, the male protagonists of classic American literature mainly want to be left alone. Greven makes the claim that American men, eschewing both marriage and male friendship, strive to remain emotionally and sexually inviolate. Examining the work of traditional authors-Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, Cooper, Irving, Stowe-Greven discovers highly untraditional and transgressive representations of desire and sexuality. Objects of desire from both women and other men, the inviolate males discussed in this study overturn established gendered and sexual categories, just as this study overturns archetypal assumptions about American manhood and American literature.   Publisher Summary 3 This book makes the case that American men want neither marriage nor male friendship but only to be left alone, emotionally and sexually inviolate.   Publisher Summary 4 This book explores the construction of male sexuality in nineteenth century American literature and comes up with some startling findings. Far from desiring heterosexual sex and wishing to bond with other men through fraternity, the male protagonists of classic American literature mainly want to be left alone. Greven makes the claim that American men, eschewing both marriage and male friendship, strive to remain emotionally and sexually inviolate. Examining the work of traditional authors-Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, Cooper, Irving, Stowe-Greven discovers highly untraditional and transgressive representations of desire and sexuality. Objects of desire from both women and other men, the inviolate males discussed in this study overturn established gendered and sexual categories, just as this study overturns archetypal assumptions about American manhood and American literature.   Publisher Summary 5 This book makes the case that American men want neither marriage nor male friendship but only to be left alone, emotionally and sexually inviolate.