Islam as Imagined in Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century English Literature

English literature has long demonized Muslims, with the term 'Islamophobia' being recent. This book surveys literature focusing on the modern period up to 1914 and highlights writers who challenged stereotypes and saw Muslims as equally capable of virtue and vice as Christians. It discusses the role of the imagination in depicting others and how this serves authors' agendas. The conclusion brings the book's thesis into dialogue with the debate in the USA today between supporters of multiculturalism and its critics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 180 pages
Publication date: 29 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Since the Middle Ages, English literature has frequently portrayed Muslims in a negative light. While the term "Islamophobia" is relatively new, the phenomenon itself has a long history. This survey of literature, limited to the modern period until 1914, seeks to identify negative notions about Islam in novels and plays. While some works are renowned and widely recognized, others may be less familiar. Nonetheless, the book emphasizes writers who challenged stereotypes and tended to view Muslims as possessing the same capacity for virtue and vice as Christians and others.

The book delves into the role of imagination in portraying others and how it serves the agendas of authors. The conclusion engages with the ongoing debate in the United States between supporters of multiculturalism and its critics. This book is valuable for anyone interested in understanding how stereotypes are formed, perpetuated, and can be challenged. It is intended for a non-specialist readership.

Weight: 510g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367714536