Nineteenth-century American writers frequently cast the Mormon as a stock villain in various genres of popular fiction. The Mormons were depicted as a violent and perverse people. Applying the methods of literary criticism, Givens shows how the image of the Mormon as a religious and social `Other' was constructed.
The Viper on the Hearth is the first full-length study to look at representations of Mormonism in popular fiction, enhancing our understanding of the religion's vexed relationship to American society. The book reconsiders the nature of Mormonism's encounter with mainstream religion, and asks how a category like "heresy" can operate in a pluralistic society. Examining the ways in which Mormons have been portrayed in popular culture, Givens's study demonstrates how fiction can respond to cultural conflicts and anxieties by refashioning heresy into a more appropriate target for moral and political crusades.
A wonderfully thought-through look at the interrelationships between fiction, religion, and the culture of humor/hostility....It represents a significant contribution to our understanding of literary relations.
