Arts and Humanities Commons^™

James Hogg's The Brownie Of Bodsbeck: An Unconventional National Tale, Barbara Leonardi

Studies in Scottish Literature

Discusses James Hogg's historical novel The Brownie of Bodsbeck (1818), set in the time of the religious Covenanters in late 17th century Scotland, with particular attention to the central woman character, Katharine Laidlaw; traces contemporary comment on the novel; and contrasts Hogg's distinctive portrayal of marriage with its use by other writers (particularly Scott) to plot national (and historical) reconciliation, arguing that Hogg uses the marriage plot to critique the emergent ideology of the national tale.