On the Divide

On the Divide analyzes the iconic image that Cather helped develop for herself, in contrast to the anonymous face she adopted for promotional activities and the very different private self she shared only with friends and family. Delving into CatherOCOs correspondence and the little-known promotional material she produced anonymously, David Porter provides new insight into the extentOCoand directionOCoof her control. He also considers the contrasting influences of Mary Baker Eddy, whose biography Cather ghostwrote, and Sarah Orne Jewett on the authorOCOs emerging artistic persona. The study goes on to explore the many ways in which these OC dividesOCO in CatherOCOs life found expression in her writing. Extending from CatherOCOs early stories to her final novel, PorterOCOs book documents the degree to which CatherOCOs understanding of her own different and often conflicting sides, and of her penchant for playing diverse roles, enabled her as a novelist to create characters so torn, so complex, and so profoundly human.