Historical Fiction about John Brown and Male Identity in Radical Movements.

A literary criticism is provided of the American historical fiction novels "Cloudsplitter" by James McBride and "The Good Lord Bird," by Russell Banks. Particular focus is given to the books' depiction of the 19th century radical abolitionist John Brown, including gender-related themes and Brown's brother Owen Brown's masculine identity. It briefly discusses the implications of John Brown for the future of radical social movements, within the context of the aforementioned fiction.