Interdisciplinary Interaction Between Sir Walter Scott's Historical Novel And His Contemporary Historical Study

Sir Walter Scott is renowned for his historical novels and his works are recognized as the foundation of historical novel.Therefore,it is necessary to explore his intellectual resources as well as its later influence.Most study from the perspective of literature concentrate on Walter Scott5 s relationship with Romanticism,thus neglecting how eighteenth-century British historical study influenced Scott as an intellectual resource.Antiquarianism and Enlightenment History are the most significant parts which had obvious impact on Walter Scott's historical materials and historical thought and are manifested in Scott's historical novels Based on his knowledge of these two modes of historical study,Scott carried out his interdisciplinary mediation and through the interaction of literature and historical study,Scott brought the "Historical Distance" closer to its audiences thus improving the historical awareness among the public.Besides,Scott's historical novel exerted its influence on later historical study,which formed a chain of influence.This postgraduate thesis deploys the the perspective of influence study and interdisciplinary study,utilizes the method of contextualizing and textual analysis and introduces the concept of "Historical Distance" to interpret and analyze how Walter Scott digested eighteenth-century historical study,mediated them with the literary approach and affected historical study afterwardsThe main body of this thesis is divided into three chapters.The first chapter-has an overview on how eighteenth-century historical study shaped Scott,most notably the Antiquarianism and the Enlightenment History;the second chapter analyzes the approach that Scott took in mediating literature and historical study,resulting in the historical novel that simultaneously "real”and "imaginative";the third chapter briefly examines how Scott's historical novel impacted the later historical study,especially the reaction from historian Thomas Macaulay.This thesis maintains that the interaction between historical study and literature created a chain of influence with Walter Scott at the central place.Eighteenth-century historical study served as Walter Scott's intercultural resource.Scott digested the essence of eighteen-century historical study and then created an immersive reading experience with his historical novel,bringing the "Historical Distance" closer to the audience thus democratizing historical awareness to the public.Subsequently,the success of Scott's historical novel pushed the transition of historical study in a positive direction.