ABOLITIONISMINTHENORTHANDTHESOUTHOFAMERICAINTHE19THCENTURY

This article presents a comprehensive literary and historical analysis of abolitionism in the Northern and Southern United States during the nineteenth century. Abolitionism is examined not as a unified national movement but as a regionally differentiated ideological phenomenon shaped by distinct economic systems, social structures, and cultural values. The study emphasizes the crucial role of literature as a medium through which abolitionist and anti-abolitionist ideas were articulated, disseminated, and contested. The primary objective of the research is to identify and compare the ideological foundations of Northern abolitionist discourse and Southern pro-slavery rhetoric, with particular attention to their representation in literary texts. The article seeks to demonstrate how literature functioned both as a reflection of historical realities and as an active instrument of moral persuasion and ideological resistance. In the Northern states, abolitionist literature emerged as a powerful force aimed at mobilizing public opinion against slavery, while in the Southern states literary and political discourse largely served to justify and preserve the slaveholding system. Methodologically, the study adopts an interdisciplinary qualitative approach that combines historical analysis, comparative literary criticism, and discourse analysis. Primary sources include abolitionist novels, autobiographical narratives, essays, and pro-slavery texts, while secondary sources consist of scholarly works in American history and literary studies. This methodological framework enables a balanced examination of abolitionism as both a socio-political movement and a cultural-literary phenomenon. The discussion highlights significant thematic and rhetorical contrasts between Northern and Southern texts. Northern abolitionist writers employed sentimentalism, realism, and moral argumentation to expose the brutality of slavery and evoke empathy for enslaved individuals. In contrast, Southern discourse constructed an idealized image of plantation life, emphasizing paternalism, racial hierarchy, and social stability, while portraying abolitionism as a dangerous and radical ideology. The results of the study demonstrate that literature played a decisive role in deepening sectional divisions and intensifying ideological polarization in the decades preceding the American Civil War. By revealing how competing literary narratives shaped regional identities and moral worldviews, the article underscores the scholarly value of abolitionist literature as a vital source for understanding nineteenth-century American history and culture.本文对19世纪美国南北两地的废奴主义（abolitionism）开展了全面的文学与历史分析。本研究并未将废奴主义视作统一的全国性运动，而是将其视作由差异化经济体系、社会结构与文化价值观塑造的、具有地域分野的意识形态现象。研究着重强调文学作为媒介的关键作用——废奴主义与反废奴主义的思想正是通过这一媒介得以阐释、传播与交锋。 本研究的核心目标是识别并比较北方废奴主义话语与南方亲奴隶制修辞的意识形态根基，并重点关注二者在文学文本中的呈现形式。本文旨在阐明文学如何兼具双重属性：既是历史现实的镜像，亦是道德感召与意识形态反抗的主动工具。在北方各州，废奴主义文学成为一股强大力量，旨在动员公众舆论反对奴隶制；而在南方各州，文学与政治话语则主要用于为蓄奴制度辩护并维系其存续。 在方法论层面，本研究采用跨学科定性研究路径，融合历史分析、比较文学批评与话语分析。本研究的一手史料涵盖废奴主义小说、自传叙事、随笔与亲奴隶制文本，二手史料则包括美国历史与文学研究领域的学术著作。这一方法论框架使得本研究能够兼顾双重维度，将废奴主义同时视作一场社会政治运动与一种文化文学现象展开公允考察。 本讨论着重揭示南北双方文本在主题与修辞层面的显著差异。北方废奴主义作家借助感伤主义（sentimentalism）、现实主义与道德论证，揭露奴隶制的残暴本质，唤起大众对被奴役者的共情。与之形成鲜明对比的是，南方话语构建了理想化的种植园生活图景，强调家长式统治（paternalism）、种族等级制度与社会稳定，并将废奴主义塑造成一种危险激进的意识形态。 本研究结果表明，在美国内战（American Civil War）前的数十年间，文学在加剧地域分裂与意识形态极化方面发挥了决定性作用。本文通过揭示对立的文学叙事如何塑造地域身份与道德世界观，强调了废奴主义文学作为理解19世纪美国历史与文化的核心史料的学术价值。