Scottishness in modern Scottish detective fiction

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore Scottishness in modern Scottish detective fiction. Aiming to uncover what Scottishness is, it examines to what extent Scottishness is reflected in modern Scottish detective fiction. It also considers to what extent Scottish detective novels comply with, or differ from, the characteristics of the crime fiction genre. The two contemporary detective novels subjected to discussion are The Cutting Room (2002) by Louise Welsh and The Sunday Philosophy Club (2004) by Alexander McCall Smith. These two detective novels are completely different in tone and perspective. While the latter is a cosy crime story, the former is a hardboiled detective narrative. The characteristics of Scottishness focused on in the thesis are Scots’ affection for logical thinking, Scots affection for Scottish landscape and Scots as patriotic and hardworking people. In contrast to these positive characteristics, there are lots of negative features within the notion Scottishness: Scots are losers; Scots have a lack of self-esteem. The result of this can be observed in Scots self destructiveness, their pessimistic attitude and many Scots’ lack of relationships. Several examples of these features are discussed. Calvinism is a core element in the debate as to what constitutes Scottish identity, and one main point argued in the thesis is that Calvinism is a central theme in both novels. Hypocrisy exists extensively due to the strict religious regulations. Both the protagonists Rilke and Isabel focus on this two-facedness. If the detective Rilke is two-faced and struggles between good and evil, this is also a facet of the character detective Isabel Dalhousie. Yet the latter negative sides are not as obvious as in Rilke’s character. Both texts explicitly refer to a huge amount of Scottish culture markers and icons. The authors not only attempt to tell stories about Scottish life but also seek to inform the reader about Scottish society, culture and art. As seen throughout the thesis, one aspect of Scottishness is the obligatory reference to literary forebears. Both authors use intertextuality as a device to highlight Scottishness. The thesis shows that both novels include intertextual references to the same classical Scottish authors (like Robert Louis Stevenson and James Hogg) and also to the play Macbeth. Thus, the thesis demonstrates that Welsh and McCall Smith are the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in today’s Scottish literature and that the detective fiction formula is hardly the heart of these novels