The Mirror and the Veil offers a unique perspective on the phenomenon of online personal diaries and blogs. Blending insights from literary criticism, from psychoanalytical theory and from social sciences, Viviane Serfaty identifies the historical roots of self-representational writing in America and studies the original features it has developed on the Internet. She perceptively analyzes the motivations of bloggers and the repercussions their writings may have on themselves and on American society at large. This book will be of interest to specialists in American Studies, to students in literature, communication, psychology and sociology, as well as to anyone endeavoring to understand the new set of practices created by Internet users in America. Introduction Chapter One Offline and Online Diaries Chapter Two Social Functions of Online Diaries in America Chapter Three Humor in Cyberspace Chapter Four The Private-Public Divide Chapter Five Male and Female Cyberbodies Conclusion Bibliography Index