ABSTRACT
Studying the debate about the relationship between literature and political action in the context of twentieth-century American radicalism is important for rhetorical scholarship. A systematic examination of how intellectuals decide to enter and conduct public controversy is an important contribution to the study of public argument. American intellectuals' participation in political controversy before the 1930s had been minimal, and it is important to try to determine why that has been the case. Writers played an indispensable role in the formation of modern radicalism. The role of the American writer as social critic was important because radicalism's political goal was cultural enrichment and a better life for all. It is important to examine writers' roles in the development of twentieth-century radicalism because writers amplified the voice of American radical concerns and made the criticisms available to the American people. The Great Depression and events abroad made almost everyone question whether Karl Marx's predictions might be correct.
