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Caroline Lee Hentz (1800-1856) was a prolific American novelist and short story writer, renowned for her contributions to antebellum Southern literature. Born Caroline Lee Whiting in Massachusetts, she later adopted her married name Hentz after wedding Nicholas Marcellus Hentz, a French entomologist. Though initially known for her poetry, Hentz's lasting legacy rests chiefly upon her prose. Her repertoire often tackled themes such as the domestic sphere, the moral challenges of love, and the delicacies of social status, all while offering a Southern perspective that has attracted scholarly attention in the context of regionalism in American literature (Homestead, 2005; Harris, 2010). Among her notable works, 'Love After Marriage; and Other Stories of the Heart' stands out, delving into the complexities of marital affection and the ethical quandaries of the heart with a finesse that renders her characters' experiences both palpable and empathetically engaging. Strongly opposed to the abolitionist literature of her time, Hentz's work inadvertently provides insight into the societal norms and conflicts leading up to the American Civil War, thus serving as a valuable cultural artifact. Despite her once-fading prominence in the literary canon, recent efforts to study antebellum women's writing have rekindled interest in Hentz's contributions, prompting a reevaluation of her place in American literary history (Harris, Pfaelzer).
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