Exploring the Construction of the Scottish National Character in Spark's Fiction from the Perspective of Spatial Criticism

Abstract

Abstract: Muriel Spark is regarded as the most successful writer in Scotland in the past century. Her writing displays, both implicitly and explicitly, the Scottish national characteristics and creates the space for the Scottish national imagination. Spark's writing adheres to the “nevertheless principle” and reflects the Scottish literature's typical duality in characterization. In the meantime, she draws so much from the various creative crafts in Scottish ballads and relies on Calvinism, the dominant religion in Scotland, as a key source of her inspirations and ideas, thereby highlighting the pivotal position of Calvinism among the Scottish people. Spark's fiction demonstrates typical properties of the Scottish people and has made valuable contributions to their cultural legacy. All this shows the close connection between her writing and the Scottish people.

Key words: Muriel Spark, spatial criticism, Scotland, national character

Dai Hongbin. Exploring the Construction of the Scottish National Character in Spark's Fiction from the Perspective of Spatial Criticism[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2021, 43(3): 110-122.

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