Dehumanization and Propaganda in Ali Smith’s Spring (2019)
Dehumanization and Propaganda in Ali Smith’s Spring (2019)

Summary/Abstract: Ali Smith’s series of novels, known as the Seasonal Quartet (2016–2020), has received significant academic acclaim for its exposure of political lies, post-truth mindsets, and the xenophobic sentiments of the Brexit Leave campaign. Nonetheless, there has been minimal focus on the specific mechanisms that allow institutions of power to construct a divisive narrative of political, social, and immigration instability. The third novel in the series, Spring (2019), distinguishes itself by scrutinizing the anti-immigrant rhetoric within the post-Brexit UK political environment. In Spring, language is politically manipulated to become a tool for various forms of propaganda and dehumanization. This propagandistic language use revealed in the novel fosters demagoguery and marginalization of immigrant groups in the post-Brexit UK. The inhumane treatment of immigrants in detention centres results from this dehumanization, stripping both detainees and employees of their subjectivity and agency. Ultimately, Spring presents a counter to the politicized abuse of language by emphasizing its potential to tell stories, unite people, and amplify the voices of those victimized by political discourse.

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