Literature, Immigration, and Diaspora in Fin-de-Siècle England : A Cultural History of the 1905 Aliens Act

The 1905 Aliens Act was the first modern law to restrict immigration to British shores. In this book, David Glover asks how it was possible for Britain, a nation that had prided itself on offering asylum to refugees, to pass such legislation. Tracing the ways that the legal notion of the "alien" became a national-racist epithet indistinguishable from the figure of "the Jew," Glover argues that the literary and popular entertainments of fin de sicle Britain perpetuated a culture of xenophobia. Reconstructing the complex socio-political field known as "the alien question," Glover examines the work of George Eliot, Israel Zangwill, Rudyard Kipling, and Joseph Conrad, together with forgotten writers like Margaret Harkness, Edgar Wallace, and James Blyth. By linking them to the beliefs and ideologies that circulated via newspapers, periodicals, political meetings, Royal Commissions, patriotic melodramas, and social surveys, Glover sheds new light on dilemmas about nationality, borders, and citizenship that remain vital today. The 1905 Aliens Act Was The First Modern Law To Restrict Immigration To British Shores. In This Book, David Glover Asks How It Was Possible For Britain, A Nation That Had Prided Itself On Offering Asylum To Refugees, To Pass Such Legislation. Tracing The Ways That The Legal Notion Of The 'alien' Became A National-racist Epithet Indistinguishable From The Figure Of 'the Jew', Glover Argues That The Literary And Popular Entertainments Of Fin De Siècle Britain Perpetuated A Culture Of Xenophobia. Reconstructing The Complex Socio-political Field Known As 'the Alien Question', Glover Examines The Work Of George Eliot, Israel Zangwill, Rudyard Kipling And Joseph Conrad, Together With Forgotten Writers Like Margaret Harkness, Edgar Wallace And James Blyth. By Linking Them To The Beliefs And Ideologies That Circulated Via Newspapers, Periodicals, Political Meetings, Royal Commissions, Patriotic Melodramas And Social Surveys, Glover Sheds New Light On Dilemmas About Nationality, Borders And Citizenship-- Machine Generated Contents Note: List Of Illustrations; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. Messianic Neutrality: George Eliot And The Politics Of National Identity; 2. Palaces And Sweatshops: East End Fictions And East End Politics; 3. Counterpublics Of Anti-semitism; 4. Writing The 1905 Aliens Act; 5. Restriction And Its Discontents; Afterword; Notes; Index. David Glover. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 LITERATURE, IMMIGRATION, AND DIASPORA IN FIN-DE-SIÈCLE ENGLAND 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Illustrations 10 Acknowledgements 11 Introduction 13 CHAPTER 1 Messianic neutrality: George Eliot and the politics of national identity 27 MESSIANIC TIMES 30 FREEDOM AND THE NEUTRAL STATE 40 DIASPORIC READINGS 42 NATIONALITY AND THE MOVEMENT OF SUBJECTS 45 CHAPTER 2 Palaces and sweatshops: East End fictions and East End politics 59 ‘AN UTTERLY UNKNOWN TOWN’ 62 THE PALACE OF DELIGHT VERSUS THE PEOPLE’S PALACE 66 ‘ISRAEL IN EGYPT’ 71 ‘THE SCUM OF LONDON’ 76 THE ALIEN SWEATER 84 CHAPTER 3 Counterpublics of anti-Semitism 92 ANTI-SEMITISM’S UNRULY INFANCY 93 THEATRES OF PREJUDICE 99 ANTI-SEMITISM AND THE RADICAL RIGHT 113 ‘THE ANTI-ALIEN CRUSADE’ 128 CHAPTER 4 Writing the 1905 Aliens Act 134 ‘AN INQUIRY ON THE SPOT’ 134 AN ALIEN CASTAWAY 143 TROUBLE IN STEERAGE 149 EXILES AND ENEMIES: TWO LEGAL FICTIONS 156 CHAPTER 5 Restriction and its discontents 164 ‘JEWGANDA’ 167 LIBERAL MEASURES 175 ANARCHISM’S FATAL RETURN 180 Afterword 202 Notes 213 INTRODUCTION 213 CHAPTER 1 MESSIANIC NEUTRALITY: GEORGE ELIOT AND THE POLITICS OF NATIONAL IDENTITY 215 CHAPTER 2 PALACES AND SWEATSHOPS: EAST END FICTIONS AND EAST END POLITICS 218 CHAPTER 3 COUNTERPUBLICS OF ANTI-SEMITISM 221 CHAPTER 4 WRITING THE 1905 ALIENS ACT 227 CHAPTER 5 RESTRICTION AND ITS DISCONTENTS 230 AFTERWORD 236 Index 238 "The 1905 Aliens Act was the first modern law to restrict immigration to British shores. In this book, David Glover asks how it was possible for Britain, a nation that had prided itself on offering asylum to refugees, to pass such legislation. Tracing the ways that the legal notion of the 'alien' became a national-racist epithet indistinguishable from the figure of 'the Jew', Glover argues that the literary and popular entertainments of fin de siècle Britain perpetuated a culture of xenophobia. Reconstructing the complex socio-political field known as 'the alien question', Glover examines the work of George Eliot, Israel Zangwill, Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Conrad, together with forgotten writers like Margaret Harkness, Edgar Wallace and James Blyth. By linking them to the beliefs and ideologies that circulated via newspapers, periodicals, political meetings, Royal Commissions, patriotic melodramas and social surveys, Glover sheds new light on dilemmas about nationality, borders and citizenship"-- Provided by publisher "The 1905 Aliens Act was the first modern law to restrict immigration to British shores. In this book, David Glover asks how it was possible for Britain, a nation that had prided itself on offering asylum to refugees, to pass such legislation. Tracing the ways that the legal notion of the 'alien' became a national-racist epithet indistinguishable from the figure of 'the Jew', Glover argues that the literary and popular entertainments of fin de siècle Britain perpetuated a culture of xenophobia. Reconstructing the complex socio-political field known as 'the alien question', Glover examines the work of George Eliot, Israel Zangwill, Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Conrad, together with forgotten writers like Margaret Harkness, Edgar Wallace and James Blyth. By linking them to the beliefs and ideologies that circulated via newspapers, periodicals, political meetings, Royal Commissions, patriotic melodramas and social surveys, Glover sheds new light on dilemmas about nationality, borders and citizenship"-- Résumé de l'éditeur Provides an in-depth history of the 1905 Aliens Act, the first modern law restricting immigration into Britain. It examines the relationship between political debates around 'the alien question' and the figure of 'the Jew' in serious literary texts and popular entertainment, ranging from the realist novel to patriotic melodrama. Provides an in-depth history of the 1905 Aliens Act, from its late Victorian cultural origins to its early-twentieth-century aftermath