Identification Practices in Twentieth-Century Fiction

The task of identifying the individual has given rise to technical innovations, such as fingerprint analysis and DNA profiling, and methods for storing and classifying people's identities, such as identity cards and digital records. Identification Practices and Twentieth-Century Fiction tests the hypothesis that these techniques and methods are inherently related to the literary representation of self-identity from the same period.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The quest to ascertain individual identity has sparked a multitude of technological advancements, including fingerprint analysis and DNA profiling. Moreover, various strategies have been devised for the storage and organization of individuals' identities, such as identity cards and digital records. Identification Practices and Twentieth-Century Fiction explores the intriguing hypothesis that these techniques and methods, as employed in the United Kingdom and the United States throughout the long 20th century, bear a close connection to the literary portrayal of self-identity during the same era. Until now, the notion of formal identification has remained largely separate from the exploration of one's unique individuality in terms of artistic representation. By engaging in a dialogue between these two questions, Identification Practices and Twentieth-Century Fiction offers a fresh perspective on the diverse ways in which uniqueness has been constructed throughout the period. It also provides an opportunity to reassess the historical and literary contexts within which such constructions took place. Spanning chapters that examine the evolution of fingerprinting, the introduction of identity cards during World War II, DNA profiling, and contemporary digital surveillance, the book makes a substantial contribution to the fields of English literature, history, and cultural studies.

Weight: 428g
Dimension: 148 x 222 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198865568