Re-thinking Europe: Literature and (trans)national IdentityNele Bemong, Mirjam Truwant, Pieter Vermeulen Re-Thinking Europe sets out to investigate the place of the idea of Europe in literature and comparative literary studies. The essays in this collection turn to the past, in which Europe became synonymous with a tradition of peace and tolerance beyond national borders, and enter into a critical dialogue with the present, in which Europe has increasingly become associated with a history of oppression and violence. The different essays together demonstrate how the idea of Europe cannot be thought apart from the tension between the regional and the global, between nationalism and pluralism, and can therefore be re-thought as an opportunity for an identity beyond national or ethnic borders. Engaging contemporary discourses on hybrid, postcolonial, and transnational identity, this volume shows how literature can function as both a vital tool to forge new identities and a power subversive of such attempts at identity-formation. Like Europe, it is always marked by the tension between integration and resistance. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of modern literature, comparative literature, and European studies, as well as people concerned with cultural memory and the relation between literature and cultural identity. |
Contents
7 | |
19 | |
Performing Transnational Identity | 109 |
Conjuring the Past Imagining Europe | 177 |
Notes on Contributors | 265 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
According American appears artists authors become called century character claim collective Comparative Literature concept concern connection considered constitutes construction context continues course critical cultural described dominant Dutch early English essay established Europe European example expression fact Flanders Flemish force foreign France French German global hand idea ideal identity important individual interest Italy Jews language Latin least less literary literary history living London look means move Movement nationalist nature novel once opposition original particular past perspective poetry political position possible Prague present Press published question reference reflect relations remains represents Schmidt seems sense shows social society space story suggest Tawada’s texts theory thinking tion tradition translation turn understand University Western world literature writing written