This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses interpersonal and place attachment of American literature in the long nineteenth century. It describes the literature under consideration the characters' attachment needs illustrate the important role human-to-human and human-to-place bonding occupies in crafting a national identity. Literature reflects cultural shifts, fears, and anxieties and helps shape societal expectations. The book provides a comparative analysis of the ethnic struggles inherent in urban immigrant communities in Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Norris's McTeague. It discusses the pathology of African American's attachment to place and the familial disruptions many former slaves experienced during the nadir of race relations in the United States. The book juxtaposes Leonora Sansay's narrative to an anonymous short story set during the same time period and in the same geographic place as Secret History.