Title: “In the Wheel and Grind of the Days”: Topophilia in A Scots Quair

Abstract: As a representative figure of the Scottish Renaissance, Lewis Grassic Gibbon holds significant intellectual value for understanding Scotland’s history. A Scots Quair presents the characters’ burden of historical pressure with a profound sense of history, depicting a unique survival experience and emotional imbalance specially delivered in a transitional period. The work captures different regional perceptions of the countryside, small towns, and cities, merging them into a distinctive love of the land. The detailed portrayal of various changes vividly demonstrates Gibbon’s concern for reality, reflecting the deep interaction between social concepts and values within a specific context. It also questions the idea of “Caledonian Antisyzygy” from an intellectual history perspective. By illustrating the costs of changes in economic, social, and psychological aspects, Gibbon describes the disillusionment of the illusion of capitalist progress in Scotland, imparting a deep historical implication while conveying the signals of the times.

Keywords: topophilia, knowable community, Caledonian Antisyzygy, A Scots Quair, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

Author: Qiang Hu, Professor, School of Foreign Languages, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan, China.

DOI: 10.19967/j.cnki.flc.2024.04.003