Enacting Englishness in the Victorian Period pdf epub mobi txt 电子书 下载 2026

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出版者:

作者:Poon, Angelia

出品人:

页数:180

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出版时间:

价格:99.95

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isbn号码:9780754658481

丛书系列:

图书标签:

• Victorian literature
• English identity
• Nationalism
• Cultural studies
• 19th-century Britain
• Performance
• Representation
• Social history
• Gender
• Class

A Tapestry of Empire and Identity: Rethinking the Victorian Encounter with the Global South A Comprehensive Overview This volume delves into the intricate and often paradoxical relationship between Victorian Britain and the vast territories of the Global South during the zenith of the British Empire. Moving beyond conventional narratives that focus solely on imperial administration or military conquest, this study seeks to excavate the complex cultural, social, and psychological negotiations that defined this era of unparalleled global reach. The book posits that the Victorian self—its moral framework, its social anxieties, and its very understanding of "Englishness"—was actively forged, negotiated, and often undone in the crucible of colonial encounter. Part I: The Cartography of Control and the Limits of Knowledge The initial section establishes the geographical and intellectual parameters of Victorian imperial ambition. It begins by examining the transformation of geographical knowledge, charting how maps and scientific surveys served not merely as tools of governance but as potent instruments of ideological assertion. We explore the shift from early exploratory ventures to the systematic cataloging of imperial landscapes, paying close attention to how the act of naming and measuring the foreign inherently imposed a specific, often reductive, framework upon diverse realities. A crucial chapter addresses the rise of 'scientific racism' as an organizing principle of empire. This section meticulously dissects the ways in which emerging anthropological and biological theories were selectively deployed to justify hierarchies of civilization. The focus here is not just on the theories themselves, but on their dissemination through popular literature, museums, and educational curricula back in Britain. The analysis highlights the internal contradictions: the simultaneous need to classify and control the colonized subject while fearing the perceived 'contaminating' influence of the exotic upon the metropolitan core. Furthermore, this part investigates the infrastructure of empire—railways, telegraphs, and irrigation projects—as corporeal extensions of British power. These large-scale engineering feats were celebrated as markers of progress, yet the study scrutinizes the hidden costs: the restructuring of indigenous labor systems, the displacement of traditional economies, and the profound environmental transformations wrought by these projects. Part II: The Domestic Echoes of Distant Shores The second major section shifts focus inward, exploring how the realities of empire permeated the domestic sphere, shaping the cultural landscape of Victorian Britain itself. The book argues that the colonies were not external entities but essential components in the construction of metropolitan identity. We dedicate significant space to the phenomenon of the 'returnee'—the colonial official, the military officer, the missionary, and the settler returning home. These individuals, marked by their experiences abroad, often found themselves awkwardly positioned within the rigid social codes of Victorian society. Their narratives, whether preserved in private diaries or sensationalized in the press, reveal anxieties about social standing, gender roles, and the maintenance of 'respectability' in a world irrevocably altered by colonial service. The volume also critically examines the representation of the colonized in Victorian arts and literature. Moving beyond Orientalist tropes, this analysis delves into the subtle ways that anxieties about racial mixing, moral decay, and the perceived fragility of the white race manifested in popular fiction, theatre, and visual art. We explore specific case studies, such as the iconography surrounding the Indian Mutiny of 1857, demonstrating how these historical events were immediately mythologized and adapted to reinforce prevailing narratives of British virtue and necessity. Part III: Agency, Resistance, and the Unwritten Histories Recognizing that imperial history is often written by the victors, the third part of this study endeavors to recover the voices and actions of those subjected to colonial rule. This is approached through an innovative methodology that triangulates official records with ethnographic fragments, archaeological evidence, and rediscovered vernacular sources. A significant portion of this section is dedicated to exploring forms of subtle and overt resistance. This includes analyzing petitions, localized revolts, acts of sabotage against infrastructure, and the deliberate preservation of cultural practices deemed subversive by the colonial state. The analysis emphasizes that resistance was not monolithic but emerged in diverse forms, often tailored to specific local contexts and traditions. Furthermore, the book engages with the complex dynamics of collaboration and accommodation. It investigates the roles played by local elites who navigated the imperial power structure—sometimes benefiting from it, sometimes subtly subverting it from within. By examining the mechanisms through which indigenous legal systems, religious institutions, and land tenure arrangements were adapted or dismantled, the study reveals the enduring legacy of colonial governance on post-imperial societies. Part IV: Legacies and Ruptures: The Aftermath of Empire The concluding section bridges the Victorian era with the complexities of the 20th century. It analyzes how the ideologies and material structures established during the high imperial period continued to shape global power relations long after formal sovereignty was relinquished. We consider the long-term effects on global trade routes, the enduring challenges of political boundary demarcation, and the lingering cultural impact of imperial educational frameworks. Ultimately, A Tapestry of Empire and Identity challenges readers to view the Victorian period not as an isolated chapter of British exceptionalism, but as a deeply interconnected moment in world history. It underscores that the construction of a secure and morally confident Victorian identity was inextricably bound to the vast, often violent, project of ruling others across the globe, leaving behind a complex, fractured inheritance that continues to define contemporary international relations. This volume offers a necessary and nuanced reassessment of how the 'English' self was defined through its persistent, fraught engagement with the world beyond its shores.

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