The dominant concerns and values of the American 1890's are explored here through the literature of the decade. Selected pieces by Crane, Norris, Dreiser, Garland, Howells and other writers of the period are arranged thematically around such issues as The Woman Question, The City, and Social Crisis. Included are a brief chronology of the major social, political, and literary events of the decade, a biographical glossary, and a selected bibliography of writings about the period.