Discourse of Exile in Early Modern English Literature e-bog

This volume examines the literary works of English exiles seeking to navigate what Edward Said calls "e;the perilous territory of not-belonging."e; The study opens by asking, "e;How did exile impact the way an early modern writer defined and constructed their personal and national identity?"e; In seeking an answer, the project traces the development of the "e;mind of exile,"e; a textual phenomenon that manifests as an exiled figure whose departure and return restructures a stable, traditional center of socio-political power; a narrative where a character, an author, a reader, or some combination of the three experiences a type of cognitive displacement resulting in an epiphany that helps define a sense of self or national identity; and narratives that write and rewrite historical narratives to reimagine boundaries of national identity either towards or away from exiled groups or individuals. The study includes case studies from a variety of authors and groups - Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, the Wycliffites, the Marian Exiles, and their Elizabethan Catholic counterparts - to provide a clearer understanding of exile as an important part of the development of a modern English national identity. Reading exilic texts through this lens offers a fresh approach to early modern narratives of marginalization while examining and clarifying the importance of the individual experience of exile filtered through literary consciousness.