At times her assessment of metaphor and discourse is a bit strained. Nonetheless, Williams generally approaches the terms of public discussion with great care and intelligence. Her insights into the varied notions of identity, difference, and value embedded within a range of contemporary debates are truly first rate. For all her efforts to rework the terms public discussion, Williams often acknowledges that such reworking is not enough. In a context of collectively enforced conceptions, individual efforts might well founder.
Every generation has to go through a purging of language, an invention of meaning in order to exist.
Williams's loss of words seems odd in a book appealing to conversation. More broadly, her wordlessness raises complex questions about the relationship between social structure and individual agency. Her reflections provide a provocative beginning.