Gaelic Scotland in the Colonial Imagination : Anglophone Writing from 1600 to 1900

Stroh, Silke

ISBN 10: 0810134055 / ISBN 13: 9780810134058

Published by Northwestern University Press, 2016

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 26707746-n

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Gaelic Scotland in the Colonial Imagination : Anglophone Writing from 1600 to 1900
• Publisher: Northwestern University Press
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0810134055
• ISBN 13: 9780810134058
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Can Scotland be considered an English colony? Is its experience and literature comparable to that of overseas postcolonial countries? Or are such comparisons no more than patriotic victimology to mask Scottish complicity in the British Empire and justify nationalism? These questions have been heatedly debated in recent years, especially in the run-up to the 2014 referendum on independence, and remain topical amid continuing campaigns for more autonomy and calls for a post-Brexit “indyref2.” Gaelic Scotland in the Colonial Imagination offers a general introduction to the emerging field of postcolonial Scottish studies, assessing both its potential and limitations in order to promote further interdisciplinary dialogue. Accessible to readers from various backgrounds, the book combines overviews of theoretical, social, and cultural contexts with detailed case studies of literary and nonliterary texts. The main focus is on internal divisions between the anglophone Lowlands and traditionally Gaelic Highlands, which also play a crucial role in Scottish–English relations. Silke Stroh shows how the image of Scotland’s Gaelic margins changed under the influence of two simultaneous developments: the emergence of the modern nation-state and the rise of overseas colonialism.

About the Author

SILKE STROH is an assistant professor of English, postcolonial, and media studies at the University of Muenster, Germany.