The Man without a Country
Man without a Country, The,story by E.E. Hale, published in the Atlantic Monthly (1863), reprinted in pamphlet form (1865), and collected in If, Yes, and Perhaps (1868). Written to inspire patriotism during the Civil War, it was suggested by the remark of Vallandigham, a former Ohio congressman, that he did not wish to live in a country that tolerated Lincoln's administration. Although entirely fictitious, the story has a realism reminiscent of Defoe. There was a real Philip Nolan, whose true history forms the basis of Hale's complementary novelette, Philip Nolan's Friends (1876). Arthur Guiterman adapted Hale's first story as a libretto for an opera by Damrosch (1937).
On trial with Aaron Burr for conspiracy, Philip Nolan cries out, “Damn the United States. I wish I may never hear of the United States again.” The court-martial accordingly condemns him to a life at sea, where he will be denied any news of his country....
[The entire page is 247 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
