The Hartford-based satirical group \"The Hartford Wits\", composed of David Humphreys, Joel Barlow, John Trumbull, and Dr. Lemuel Hopkins, published their significant mock-epic, The Anarchiad, behind the shield of collective authorship. The four Wits adorn the title of the work with the phrase \"written in concert\" to suggest a singular authorial voice. This thesis attempts to demystify the Wits' collective authorship, exposing each author's individual contribution to the production and publication of The Anarchiad. Chapter 1 reviews each author's upbringing, education, and professional careers prior to the formation of the Wits, as well as foundational information about the development of The Anarchiad. The subsequent chapter undertakes the task of determining authorial responsibility through a close reading of The Anarchiad, fortified by an analysis of each author's individual publications. Beyond this close analysis of authorial intent, this project also deals with the mock-epic form, the conceit of the found document, the Wits' need for anonymity, and the Wits lives following the completion of The Anarchiad in Chapter 3. This thesis demonstrates that it is possible to argue for authorial responsibility through discourse analysis. Through such an analysis, it can be determined that John Trumbull was responsible for legal themes in the text, while Joel Barlow almost exclusively composes the verse of the mock-epic. Lemuel Hopkins contributes to the prose of The Anarchiad, and David Humphreys acts as the organizational and ideological leader.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 24317