5 research outputs found
The quest for identity in Sorley MacLean's 'An Cuilithionn' : journeying into politics and beyond
This thesis aims to deepen our understanding of âAn Cuilithionnâ, which is generally considered to be Sorley MacLeanâs most important political poem, by examining the main symbol in the poem, the mountain, in its interaction with the secondary symbols, and also the historical-political figures who figure in the poem. Very little detailed work on âAn Cuilithionnâ has been carried out, and for this reason this thesis has to establish a sound foundation for research on âAn Cuilithionnâ. A multi-disciplinary approach allows a fuller understanding of the poem to emerge. The specific aim of the thesis is to understand more fully how heart and mind interact in MacLeanâs vision of the hero on the mountain. I view âAn Cuilithionnâ as MacLeanâs meditation on human nature and, because this poem was composed at a time when many of the Scottish intelligentsia of which MacLean was part were assessing their own views on action and pacifism, I also postulate that in âAn Cuilithionnâ MacLean contemplates the nature of his own identity in that light. The argument of the thesis is based on the premise that in âAn Cuilithionnâ politics significantly contribute to how MacLean views heroism and his identity is defined by how he perceives figures of history such as Lenin, Dimitrov and James Connolly. I use the psychological approaches of both Julia Kristeva and C.G. Jung as well as the literary theory of Northrop Frye to gain a broader perspective on the topic. In Chapter 1 MacLeanâs literary influences as well as the contemporary literary and political climate of Scotland in general are examined. In Chapter 2 and 3 I define the theoretical framework of my inter-disciplinary approach to the subject. In Chapter 4 I speculate whether the main symbols in the poem, the mountain and morass, originate from MacLeanâs own personal view of the universe and in Chapter 5 I examine the secondary symbols, the seamonster and stallion, which reflect the personal and political themes in the poem. The dynamic, which I propose is present in the symbols that I have already looked at in the previous chapters, is further considered in Chapter 6 in relation to MacLeanâs ideal of the self-sacrificed hero using, in particular, James Frazerâs meta-narrative of the dying and reviving god and Northrop Fryeâs literary myth of death and rebirth. In Chapter 7 I connect the theme of self-sacrifice in âAn Cuilithionnâ to MacLeanâs use of Hugh MacDiarmidâs poem, âIf there are bounds to any manâ, which he incorporated into Part V of âAn Cuilithionnâ, and I show that MacLeanâs socialist ideals are inextricably linked to his belief in the eternal striving of the hero, which leads him towards a fuller understanding of the course of mankind as a whole. This thesis raises the question of how MacLean views the individual and the collective as well as the personal and the political. It also explores MacLeanâs responses to his major influences such as Communism and religion and examines how he deals with these in both an intellectual and emotional way.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Introduction : Publics and Participation in Early Modern Britain
The deconstruction of JĂŒrgen Habermasâs âpublic sphereâ has generated fresh thinking about political communication and participation. This article, which introduces the forum, explores a series of problems that continue to confront early modern scholars. Greater sensitivity to the unstable and ephemeral nature of âpublics,â combined with a stronger awareness of the role of cultural exchange, has undoubtedly enriched early modern studies. Some analytical precision has, nonetheless, been lost. The dismantling of âthe public sphereâ as a unitary space has shifted attention towards networks and forms of association that were not contained by territorial borders, but at the expense of deeper consideration of the cultural and linguistic boundaries that dictated the terms on which people could participate in and shape public discourse. This article contends that study of the British archipelago offers new ways of thinking about these problems. Its patchwork of religious, political, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic affinities has been given limited consideration by scholars. By looking at responses to the consolidation of the English language, the role of national churches, and the rise of London as an international publishing hub, this article reassesses the associations between political communication, identity formation, and the state