Rebecca Harding Davis
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Brief Biography
Rebecca Harding Davis was born in Washington, Pennsylvania but spent part of her life in Big Spring (now Florence), Alabama. Harding Davis’s big break came in 1861 when her short story, "Life in the Iron-Mills," was published in The Atlantic Monthly. It was groundbreaking for its brutal realism and depiction of workers’ struggles. She found success publishing popular fiction in magazines like Peterson’s Magazine and literary fiction in magazines like Harper’s Magazine. Her work had a significant impact on American literature and influenced other writers, including her son, Richard Harding Davis, who became a well-known writer in his own right. Rebecca Harding Davis passed away two days after she had a stroke in 1910.
Publications
Waiting for The Verdict. New York; Sheldon & Company, 1868.
John Andross. New York; Orange Judd Company, 1874.
Silhouettes of American Life. New York; C. Scribner's Sons, 1892.
Bits of Gossip. Boston; Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1904.
John Andross. New York; Orange Judd Company, 1874.
Silhouettes of American Life. New York; C. Scribner's Sons, 1892.
Bits of Gossip. Boston; Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1904.
Themes
Rebecca Harding Davis was best known for writing literary short stories and novels that were early examples of realism in American literature. She also wrote essays, mysteries, and children's books. Common themes in her works include industrialism, the social role of women, race, and the working class.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Davis, Rebecca Harding, “Rebecca Harding Davis,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/567.