Scott's voices : an analysis of discourse competition in the Waverley Novels

• Main Author: Sutherland, Sheena
• Published: University of Aberdeen 1997
• Subjects: 800; Literature
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.262931

This thesis analyses the interlayering of voices or discourses in certain of Scott's Waverley Novels. It takes as its basis the insights of Bakhtin and Kristeva, discussed in chapter one. Chapters two and three relate to the Kristevan interest in the whole of language as a recognisable system: chapter two discusses the changes made to Scott's Scots by his printers, and the emergence of a standard of printed Scots in the late-eighteenth century: chapter three analyses Scott's use of dialect forms in manuscript in comparison to the printed tests, through <I>The Antiquary, Saint Ronan's Well</I>, and <I>Redgauntlet</I>. Chapters four and five analyse the use of quotation and allusion in Scott, in other words, that which is marked apart as recognisably other. The functioning of socio-ideological languages in direct speech is discussed in chapter four, which analyses the use of legal and military terminology, with detailed reference to <I>The Antiquary, Redgauntlet, </I>and <I>A Legend of the Wars of Montrose. </I> The final chapter analyses the use of direct and indirect textual quotation and allusion, with reference to the <I>The Antiquary, The Bride of Lammermoor, </I>and <I>Redgauntlet. </I>