The purpose of this paper is to analyse the question to what extent a piece of art, in this case a novel, can serve as a basis for cultural studies. For this reason the representation of youth and youth culture in the novel Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes will be analysed.
In the second chapter this paper introduces the novel with its main characters and the main themes. The third chapter then focuses on the theories of youth and youth culture from Ogersby. To combine the results drawn from the first two chapters, the fourth chapter deals with the question whether Absolute Beginners main character is represented as a typical teenager of the fifties or whether he is just a construction by the author. All the results of the paper are combined in the conclusion to prove whether the novel serves as a medium for representing youth cultures of the fifties in England or not. This leads to the answer of the question how a piece of art can be taken as a basis for cultural studies.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The novel Absolute Beginners
2.1 The main character
2.2 The main themes
3. Theories on youth and youth cultures
4. Is Absolute Beginners main character a typical teenager of the fifties?
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines to what extent the novel "Absolute Beginners" by Colin MacInnes can serve as a valid basis for cultural studies regarding the representation of British youth culture in the 1950s. The primary research question investigates whether the protagonist functions as a realistic embodiment of a typical fifties teenager or merely as a subjective construction by the author.
- The emergence and definition of the "teenager" in post-war Britain.
- Analysis of the main character’s lifestyle, values, and social environment.
- Theoretical frameworks of youth subcultures as proposed by Bill Osgerby.
- The intersection of youth identity, consumer culture, and political events like the Notting Hill race riots.
- Critical assessment of literary fiction as a medium for sociological representation.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 The main character
The protagonist of the novel is the unnamed nineteen-year-old photographer. He earns his money with casual work as a photographer taking pictures from the high society and his teenager friends. He lives in a room in Napoli, a London district that attracts with its cheap housing poor and mostly foreign families. He probably could have afforded a different place, but he is longing for a life different from his parents and their class influenced society. He wants to live his own life, after his personal and new ideas and opinions. Living in Napoli gives his the opportunity to create his individual personality and his own identity away from the influence of his parents.
But the real reason […] is that, however horrible the area is, you’re free there! No one, I repeat it, no one, has ever asked me there what I am, or what I do, or where I came from, or what my social group is, or whether I’m educated or not […]
He has hardly any social contact with his family. His father, an amateur historian, is the only person he talks to when he visits his family, mostly to use his darkroom to develop his pictures. He disrespects his mother who has turned their home into a boarding house against the will of his father. Most of all he dislikes his older half-brother Vernon who is a nobody in his eyes.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the paper's intent to analyze the novel "Absolute Beginners" as a source for cultural studies by examining the representation of 1950s youth culture.
2. The novel Absolute Beginners: This section introduces the protagonist, his lifestyle, his social circle, and the core themes of the novel, such as the emergence of the teenage generation and the Notting Hill race riots.
3. Theories on youth and youth cultures: This chapter discusses Bill Osgerby's theories regarding the post-war socio-economic conditions that allowed for the development of distinct youth subcultures in Britain.
4. Is Absolute Beginners main character a typical teenager of the fifties?: This chapter critically evaluates whether the protagonist represents an authentic fifties teenager or if his character is a literary construct that ignores the realities of the working youth.
5. Conclusion: The concluding section synthesizes the findings, suggesting that while the novel contains realistic elements, it should be used in conjunction with theoretical literature for accurate cultural analysis.
6. Bibliography: This section lists the academic sources and secondary literature referenced throughout the analysis.
Keywords
Absolute Beginners, Colin MacInnes, Fifties, Youth Culture, Teenagers, Post-war Britain, Subculture, Cultural Studies, Notting Hill Riots, Classless Society, Identity, Consumerism, Literature and Reality, Sociological Representation, Teenage Lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the cultural representation of youth in Colin MacInnes's 1959 novel "Absolute Beginners" and evaluates its utility as a source for cultural studies.
What are the central themes discussed in the book?
The central themes include the rise of the "teenager" as a social category, the role of consumerism, the quest for a classless identity, and the impact of the Notting Hill race riots.
What is the main research question of this study?
The main question is whether the protagonist of "Absolute Beginners" can be considered a typical representative of fifties teenagers or if he is simply a character construction created by the author.
Which theoretical framework is applied in the research?
The author uses Bill Osgerby’s theories on youth subcultures and post-war socio-economic shifts to analyze the historical context of the novel.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the introduction of the novel’s characters and themes, a discussion of sociological theories on youth, and a critical comparison between the fictional teenager and the actual historical youth of the 1950s.
Which keywords characterize this academic work?
Key terms include "Absolute Beginners," "Youth Culture," "Teenagers," "Fifties," "Classless Society," and "Cultural Studies."
How does the protagonist's employment status affect the novel's realism?
The author argues that the protagonist's irregular, self-employed status as a photographer makes him unrepresentative, as most 1950s teenagers were working unskilled jobs with rigid financial obligations.
How do the Notting Hill race riots influence the conclusion?
The riots serve as a pivotal moment that challenges the protagonist's idealized view of a "classless" society, forcing him to confront racism and accept greater personal responsibility.
Does the author suggest that literature is a reliable source for cultural studies?
The author concludes that literature can be a valuable source, provided it is selected carefully and compared critically against theoretical and historical data to ensure accuracy.
- Citar trabajo
- Phyllis Wiechert (Autor), 2002, The representation of youth and youth culture in the novel Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/73176
