Brown is often called the first American novelist. Originally published in 1799, Ormondwas inspired by enlightenment philosophers and Gothic writers. The novel engages with many of the period's popular debates about women's education, marriage, and the morality of violence, while the plot revolves around the Gothic themes of seduction, murder, incest, impersonation, romance and disease. Set in post-revolutionary Philadelphia, Ormondexamines the prospects...