'Magnus's vision of a resurgent Scotland was elusive as a unicorn': Scottish Nationalism in Eric Linklater's Magnus Merriman. Issue 2 (November 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- 'Magnus's vision of a resurgent Scotland was elusive as a unicorn': Scottish Nationalism in Eric Linklater's Magnus Merriman. Issue 2 (November 2021)
- Main Title:
- 'Magnus's vision of a resurgent Scotland was elusive as a unicorn': Scottish Nationalism in Eric Linklater's Magnus Merriman
- Authors:
- Gilbert, Adam
- Abstract:
- Abstract : Eric Linklater's 1934 novel Magnus Merriman is recognised as a comic triumph for its satirical treatment of the Scottish Renaissance and the associated contemporary Scottish nationalist movement. This article argues that Magnus Merriman has deceptive depth because Linklater offers frequently profound insights into a compelling point in Scottish cultural and political history. The misadventures of the eponymous Magnus have strong parallels with Linklater's own belated entry into the Scottish Literary Renaissance and his disastrous attempt at standing for parliament as a Scottish nationalist candidate. The novel showcases Linklater's idiosyncratic political doctrine of 'small nationalism', and his unflattering portrayal of the National Party of Scotland is coloured by his disillusionment with it. The doomed poem written by Magnus, ' The Returning Sun', symbolises the Scottish Renaissance, reflecting its shortcomings and the difficulty of forming a unified Scottish cultural identity. The character of Magnus himself embodies the lack of a single, coherent Scottish identity as a Scottish Renaissance anti-hero. Magnus's political and literary disappointments mean Linklater gives a pessimistic assessment of the relative failure of the Scottish Renaissance and the nationalist movement of the period. Linklater's irreverent examination of Scottish nationalism retains contemporary relevance. Magnus Merriman is more than just a hilarious comedy and represents a significantAbstract : Eric Linklater's 1934 novel Magnus Merriman is recognised as a comic triumph for its satirical treatment of the Scottish Renaissance and the associated contemporary Scottish nationalist movement. This article argues that Magnus Merriman has deceptive depth because Linklater offers frequently profound insights into a compelling point in Scottish cultural and political history. The misadventures of the eponymous Magnus have strong parallels with Linklater's own belated entry into the Scottish Literary Renaissance and his disastrous attempt at standing for parliament as a Scottish nationalist candidate. The novel showcases Linklater's idiosyncratic political doctrine of 'small nationalism', and his unflattering portrayal of the National Party of Scotland is coloured by his disillusionment with it. The doomed poem written by Magnus, ' The Returning Sun', symbolises the Scottish Renaissance, reflecting its shortcomings and the difficulty of forming a unified Scottish cultural identity. The character of Magnus himself embodies the lack of a single, coherent Scottish identity as a Scottish Renaissance anti-hero. Magnus's political and literary disappointments mean Linklater gives a pessimistic assessment of the relative failure of the Scottish Renaissance and the nationalist movement of the period. Linklater's irreverent examination of Scottish nationalism retains contemporary relevance. Magnus Merriman is more than just a hilarious comedy and represents a significant contribution to Scottish literature. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Northern Scotland. Volume 12:Issue 2(2021)
- Journal:
- Northern Scotland
- Issue:
- Volume 12:Issue 2(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 12, Issue 2 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 12
- Issue:
- 2
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0012-0002-0000
- Page Start:
- 155
- Page End:
- 173
- Publication Date:
- 2021-11
- Subjects:
- Eric Linklater -- Scottish Literature -- Scottish Nationalism -- Scottish Renaissance
Scotland -- History -- Periodicals
Highlands (Scotland) -- History -- Periodicals
Grampian (Scotland) -- History -- Periodicals
941.1005 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.euppublishing.com/journal/nor ↗
http://www.euppublishing.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.3366/nor.2021.0247 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0306-5278
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 20609.xml