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Hemispheric Imaginings: The Monroe Doctrine and Narratives of U.S. Empire. By Gretchen Murphy. Durham: Duke University Press, 2005. Pp. xi, 195. Illustrations. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $74.95 cloth; $21.95 paper.
Gretchen Murphy presents a novel and provocative thesis: that "USAmericans" understood the evolving meaning of the Monroe Doctrine in relation to fictional works dealing with transatlantic relations. By situating foreign relations within a framework of literary studies, Murphy follows the well-trod path of other transnational American-studies practitioners in Duke's New Americanists series. But while the vast majority of authors exploring the cultural history of U.S. imperialism begin their narratives with the Spanish-American War, Murphy's chronological focus harkens back to 1823 and John Quincy Adams' formulation of spheres of influence. Whether one agrees with the author's use of discourse theory and the conclusions it leads her to, this book is notable as one of the few book-length historical explorations of the evolution of the Monroe Doctrine since Dexter Perkins's work in the...