Overview
Covers an impressive range of literary texts by post-war British writers including Anthony Burgess, Graham Greene, and William Golding
Foregrounds his discussion of literature within the larger context of British imperial history particularly as connected to race and class
Peels back the layers on the complicated but long-lasting legacies of post-war British writers.
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Table of contents (6 chapters)
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Front Matter
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The British Abroad
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
This book examines literary texts by British colonial servant and settler writers, including Anthony Burgess, Graham Greene, William Golding, and Alan Sillitoe, who depicted the impact of decolonization in the newly independent colonies and at home in Britain. The end of the British Empire was one of the most significant and transformative events in twentieth-century history, marking the beginning of a new world order and having an indelible impact on British culture and society. Literary responses to this moment by those from within Britain offer an enlightening (and often overlooked) exploration of the influence of decolonization on received notions of “race” and class, while also prefiguring conceptions of multiculturalism. As Matthew Whittle argues in this sweeping study, these works not only view decolonization within its global context (alongside the aftermath of the Second World War, the rise of America, and mass immigration) but often propose a solution to imperial decline through cultural renewal.
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Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Matthew Whittle is a Teaching Fellow in Contemporary and Postcolonial Literature at the University of Leeds, UK. He has published journal articles and book chapters on post-war British and Caribbean literature, decolonization, postcolonial studies, and contemporary art.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Post-War British Literature and the "End of Empire"
Authors: Matthew Whittle
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54014-0
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-54013-3Published: 12 January 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-71209-0Published: 06 November 2020
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-54014-0Published: 03 January 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: IX, 225
Topics: British and Irish Literature, Twentieth-Century Literature, Postcolonial/World Literature, Fiction, Literary History