Political and Socio-Cultural Poetics of the Novel the Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis: A New Historicist Perspective

Mohammad Afzal Hossain

doi:10.47191/ijsshr/v4-i5-29

Abstract

This paper intends to explicate the novel ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ by Walter Tevis with a new historicist lens to explore the complex layers of politics of representation and power relations with a view to produce a close -reading of issues like contemporary (Mid-20th century, 1950s and 1960s) socio-political and cultural context of America, Cold War, Communism, Christianity, Capitalism, Atheism, critical racial issues, western concept of beauty as well as moral values and beliefs, considering not only the literary discourse but other non-literary cultural productions and forms like visual discourse (TV, movies) and sports, in this context, Chess. The paper has adopted new historicist theoretical framework to shed light also on the biographical, historical, socio-political and cultural contexts of when the novel was written and published (Mid-1970s and published in 1983). The temporal and spatial setting of the novel, mid-20th century and Kentucky, America have also been analyzed from the same theoretical framework. The objective of this paper is explorative and analytical in nature in its reading of the novel, by applying exegesis in the form of content analysis and textual analysis. The paper has also drawn substantially from cultural studies, research methods like close reading of visual materials and other non-literary cultural productions. Institutional analysis and ideology critique approach has been used to critically analyze how the orphanage (Methuen Home) has been portrayed and represented and what impressions it gives about the nature and operation of power dynamics and dominant ideologies within the orphanage and also in the larger context of America.

Highlights

Context and conditions of when Queen’s Gambit was being written and later published in 1983 As new historicist approach primarily focuses on the historical, social and cultural contexts of a literary text of its time of production and circulation, it will be appropriate to first analyze the context and conditions when The Queen’s Gambit was being written and published
MATERIALS AND METHODS Theoretical framework John Brannigan (1996) suggests one of the best ways to start a new historicist reading is by taking into account “the depiction of a scene or piece of writing which yields a microcosmic image of what the critic seeks to elaborate in relation to the main text of discussion.”
Branningan indicates that a single word, a sign, a passing commentary, a TV show, a movie, a medicine, a metaphor can work as a microcosmic cultural text which can give a macrocosmic understanding of politics of representation, power relations and power dynamics

Summary

Introduction

Context and conditions of when Queen’s Gambit was being written and later published in 1983 As new historicist approach primarily focuses on the historical, social and cultural contexts of a literary text of its time of production and circulation, it will be appropriate to first analyze the context and conditions when The Queen’s Gambit was being written and published (it was published in 1983). Walter Tevis (1928-1985) was an American novelist and published Queen’s Gambit just one year before he died in 1984 The time when he wrote and published Queen’s Gambit was within the Cold War period of 1945-1991. It can be carefully assumed that there will be textual traces and evidences of Cold War in the novel, as the novel, besides other aspects, is mainly about Chess, and Soviets were the best chess player in the world in 1983 and within the temporal setting of the novel- 1950s and 1960s. The impression and imprint of Cold War can be traced very vividly within the novel because final competition holds between Beth Harmon and Vasily Borgov, the Russian chess master but for the direct textual evidences and allusions to Communism and Soviet Union. In the same poem there are allusions to Julius Caeser and Michelangelo; Caeser contemplating silently on a spread out map before him and Michelangelo working on The Creation of Adam

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion