The language of empire
Subtitle: myths and metaphors of popular imperialism, 1880-1918
By: Robert H. MacDonald.
Series: Studies in imperialism; Studies in imperialism (Manchester, England)
Publisher: Manchester University Press; Distributed exclusively in the USA and Canada by St. Martin's Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Manchester, UK; New York; New York, NY, USA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 268
Subjects: English literature -- 19th century -- History and criticism.; Imperialism -- Public opinion -- History -- 19th century.; Imperialism -- Public opinion -- History -- 20th century.; English literature -- 20th century -- History and criticism.; Popular literature -- Great Britain -- History and criticism.; Imperialism in literature.; Myth in literature.; Metaphor.
Description: During the last thirty years of the nineteenth century the British Empire increased enormously and by 1900 the Empire covered a fifth of the world's land surface. In Britain itself, the growth of Empire came to the centre of the political debate and was applauded by a large sympathetic press. Two sides of imperialism had emerged - the acquisition of territory and a campaign of propaganda to make imperialism 'popular'. Both are the subject of this book.

The Language of Empire describes how the Empire was constructed, given shape and meaning, for its contemporaries. The author explores how the imperial 'story' was imagined and how the day-to-day activities of its participants were understood. He focuses on both the face of Empire as it was presented to the public, and at the lives of individual imperial soldiers or adventurers, exploring how the idea of Empire gave meaning to the actions of its participants.

The author defines the role of discourse in determining this perception of reality - looking at the construction of Empire through the huge body of popular texts ranging from fiction, poetry and children's stories to history and biography. This study will appeal to readers interested in British imperialism, those engaging in literature and cultural studies as well as to specialists in colonial history.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 241-259) and index.