Maureen Whitebrook argues that literature, through both its form and its content, can expose and criticize liberal theory and point beyond it to a new political theory. She describes how 'literary political criticism' might be done, and demonstrates such criticism in four essays that expose the connections between specific political and literary texts. Fiction, Whitebrook concludes, does a better job than liberal political theory of examining the relationship between the individual and the State.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
I have never encountered a finer-more eloquent, more informed, and more convincing-argument for fiction as a vehicle of political understanding. The argument is immediately confirmed by a series of impressive demonstrations, in the form of considerations of various authors' treatments of liberal ideas and themes. -- Lee Sigelman A deeply thoughtful and subtle new approach to the interdependence of literature and liberal political theory. -- Bernard Crick, author of George Orwell: A Life Whitebrook presents a compelling argument for political theorists . . . and provokes much thought about the relationship between polotics and literature. Her book will therefore be of great interest to political and literary theorists alike. * Political Studies Review * In Real Toads in Imaginary Gardens: Narrative Accounts of Liberalism, Maureen Whitebrook clearly demonstrates the value of using literary texts for understanding political ideas. Her analyses of Hemlock and After, The Old Men at the Zoo, The Princess Casamassima, and Nostromo are valuable analyses of the text as well as useful illustrations of her contribution to liberal theory. -- Lyman Tower Sargent, University of Missouri, St. Louis
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
Maße
Höhe: 230 mm
Breite: 145 mm
Dicke: 16 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-8476-7984-3 (9780847679843)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Maureen Whitebrook is honorary research fellow of political science at the University of Sheffield and the editor of Reading Political Stories: Representations of Politics in Novels and Pictures (Rowman & Littlefield, 1991).
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Politics and Literature: Liberal Political Theory and the Novel Chapter 3 Taking Responsibility: Angus Wilson, Hemlock and After Chapter 4 Limited Liberty: Angus Wilson, The Old Men at the Zoo Chapter 5 Obligation and Commitment: Henry James, The Princess Casamissima Chapter 6 Integrating Personal and Political: Joseph Conrad, Nostromo Chapter 7 Conclusion: Living a Liberal Life Chapter 8 Index
