Document Type
Original Study
Subject Areas
Language/Linguistics and Literature
Keywords
British monarchy, myth, institution, duty, continuity, stability, traditionalism, status, conventionalism, distance
Abstract
In his novella The Uncommon Reader (2006/2008) English writer Alan Bennett (1934 – ) fictionally depicts the way in which one of the most prestigious institutions of Britishness, Queen Elizabeth II (1952 – ), turns from a highly institutionalized symbol into a real person and a very uncommon reader. The article explores Bennett’s fictional reconsideration of common myths connected to the British monarchy, a process which is activated by the Queen’s new fondness for reading. The paper develops a possible reinterpretation of these myths, seeking to prove that Bennett’s fictional exercise also sparks off the reflection of a number of common public concerns connected to the British monarchy and its position in relation to the social, economic or political life of contemporary Britain.
How to Cite This Article
Culea, Mihaela
(2014)
"Revisiting British royalty myths in Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader,"
Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences: Vol. 17:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
DOI: 10.5782/2223-2621.2014.17.1.5
Available at:
https://kjhss.khazar.org/journal/vol17/iss1/1
Publication Date
2014