Works by james fenimore cooper mark twain stephen crane and charles chesnutt nan goodman investigates changing notions of responsibility and agency in nineteenth century america shifting the blame reveals the pervasive impact of the radically. In exciting tales of the actions of good samaritans or of sea steamboat or railroad accidents features of risk that might otherwise escape our attention such as the suddenness of impact the encounter between strangers and the debates over blame and responsibility were reconstructed in a manner that revealed both imagined and actual solutions to one of the most difficult philosophical and social conflicts in the nineteenth century united states through literary and legal . First published in 2000 routledge is an imprint of taylor francis an informa company. Shifting the blame literature law and the theory of accidents in nineteenth century america shifting the blame literature law and the theory of accidents in nineteenth century america kalayjian patricia larson 2000 03 01 000000 5995 al 721 sheet 186 of 246 182 american literature away from england as a consequence experience enabled americans to see themselves as even more . Shifting the blame reveals the pervasive impact of this radically new theory of responsibility in understandings of industrial hazards in manufacturing dangers and in the stories that were told and retold about accidents in exciting tales of the actions of good samaritans or of sea steamboat or railroad accidents features of risk that might otherwise escape our attention such as