How does the concept of the individual self evolve within the tension between personal autonomy and the demands of modern society? Lionel Trilling, a prominent mid-twentieth-century literary critic and professor at Columbia University, examines the development of the self through the lens of nineteenth and twentieth-century literature. He argues that the individual's struggle to maintain a distinct identity against the pressures of culture is a central preoccupation of modern creative work.

Critics and scholars frequently cite this work as a foundational text in the study of modern literary criticism and the history of ideas. Readers often note the intellectual density of the prose, which requires a high level of familiarity with the primary literary works being discussed.