After the Fall

After the Fall by Josephine Donovan is a scholarly work of literary criticism and feminist analysis. This volume examines the literary traditions of American women writers from the early twentieth century, specifically focusing on the works of Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, and Ellen Glasgow. By analyzing masterpieces such as Ethan Frome, Summer, My Antonia, and Barren Ground, Donovan reinterprets these texts within the context of a developing women's literary lineage.

The text utilizes the Demeter-Persephone myth to explore the historical transitions of turn-of-the-century America. Donovan investigates the evolving relationship between mothers and daughters, highlighting the rebellion of the new women against the traditional culture of the nineteenth century. This feminist study also addresses the male-supremacist ideologies that shaped the intellectual climate of the era, providing a fresh perspective on these influential female authors.