Paul Scott: 'a writing purpose'

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to identify the essential components of what Paul Scott described as his "writing purpose" (1), and to chart its development from the early novels, through the Raj Quartet to the last novel, Staying On. An analysis of the early novels, with their concentrated focus on the subjectivity of truth and the prevalence of illusion, forms a useful springboard from which to continue an investigation of the themes which interested Scott as a novelist and which he pursued to a logical conclusion in the Quartet and beyond. The Raj Quartet forms the basis of this study because it contains the fullest exposition of Scott's philosophy both as a writer and as a disillusioned member of a society which failed to fulfil the promise of the immediate post-war years. The multiplicity of characters, classes, destinies, roles, jobs and so on which forms the foundation of the Quartet creates the background against which the metaphor of India and the