Disraeli and the archi-textual: constructions of authority in Sybil

Moore, Ben 2015. Disraeli and the archi-textual: constructions of authority in Sybil. Modern Language Review 110 (1) , pp. 47-68. 10.5699/modelangrevi.110.1.0047

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Abstract

This article undertakes a rereading of Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845), arguing that the novel engages in the construction of authority as a lost origin which is also projected into the future as a political goal. The essay draws on Derrida's concept of the ‘supplement’ to trace how the text combines names, buildings, and documents in ‘archi-textual’ structures that seek to establish and secure this lost authority. The tension between the need to construct authority and the need to project it as a pre-existing origin can never be settled and operates as a driving force within the text.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	English, Communication and Philosophy
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Publisher:	Modern Humanities Research Association
ISSN:	0026-7937
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	05 May 2023 04:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/82554

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