Quest for Scottish Independence in James Robertson’s Short Fiction on the Eve of the Referendum

Abstract

The paper focuses on a detailed analysis of Robertson's personal queries related to the issue of Scottish independence in two short stories, Republic of the Mind (first published in 1993) and MacTaggart's Shed (2012). Since there is a conspicuous time span in-between the publication of these stories, it is our purpose to track, explore and describe how Robertson's treatment of the same subject has changed over the years, particularly having in mind the references to the Devolution Referendum (1997) and Independence Referendum (2014) in these stories. Bearing in mind the idea of an artist as an active communal participant (Rich, 1993), Robertson ostensibly favours the political cause of Scottish independence; however, his short stories depict his personal doubts about its realization in future practice, a stance that proved to be completely justified after the unsuccessful Independence Referendum (2014). The theoretical framework of the paper relies on the critical insights of Scottish scholars, Campbell, Taylor, Thompson and Massie, as well as numerous contemporary journalist accounts of Scottish political analysts.