| Governing the Tongue: The Politics of Speech in Early New England Contributor(s): Kamensky, Jane (Author) |
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ISBN: 0195130901 ISBN-13: 9780195130904 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $97.02 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 1999 Annotation: Governing the Tongue explains why the spoken word assumed such importance in the culture of early New England. In a work that is at once historical, socio-cultural, and linguistic, Jane Kamensky explores the little-known words of unsung individuals, and reconsiders such famous Puritan events as the banishment of Anne Hutchinson and the Salem witch trials, to expose the ever-present fear of what the Puritans called "sins of the tongue." But even while dangerous or deviant speech was restricted, as Kamensky illustrates here, godly speech was continuously praised and promoted. Congregations were told that one should lift one's voice "like a trumpet" to God and "cry out and cease not." By placing speech at the heart of New England's early history, Kamensky develops new ideas about the complex relationship between speech and power in both Puritan New England and, by extension, our world today. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - Colonial Period (1600-1775) - Social Science | Anthropology - Cultural & Social - Language Arts & Disciplines | Linguistics - General |
| Dewey: 420.974 |
| LCCN: 97010595 |
| Lexile Measure: 1520 |
| Physical Information: 0.64" H x 6.09" W x 9.25" (0.90 lbs) 304 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 17th Century - Chronological Period - 18th Century - Cultural Region - New England |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Governing the Tongue explains why the spoken word assumed such importance in the culture of early New England. In a work that is at once historical, socio-cultural, and linguistic, Jane Kamensky explores the little-known words of unsung individuals, and reconsiders such famous Puritan events as the banishment of Anne Hutchinson and the Salem witch trials, to expose the ever-present fear of what the Puritans called sins of the tongue. But even while dangerous or deviant speech was restricted, as Kamensky illustrates here, godly speech was continuously praised and promoted. Congregations were told that one should lift one's voice like a trumpet to God and cry out and cease not. By placing speech at the heart of New England's early history, Kamensky develops new ideas about the complex relationship between speech and power in both Puritan New England and, by extension, our world today. |