Author Description
First published more than thirty years ago, this is the first part of Richard Hoggart's autobiography, tracing his early schooling, the friends he met and the mentors he admired and ends when, having obtained a degree from Leeds University, he decides to head off travelling. It describes the situation of working-class England between the wars and life in the back-to-backs in Hunslet. Hoggart's books include "The Uses of Literacy", "Speaking to Each Other", "An idea and its Servant", "An English Temper" and "An Idea of Europe", with Douglas Johnson.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the formative experiences and social conditions that shaped the intellectual development of Richard Hoggart during the interwar period in England. Hoggart, a prominent cultural critic and academic, utilizes his own life story to provide a sociological examination of working-class existence in Hunslet. He constructs a narrative that links personal development to the broader economic and cultural shifts occurring in British society prior to the Second World War.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed accounts of working-class life in Hunslet back-to-back housing
- Analysis of the educational systems and mentorship dynamics of the era
- Reflections on the transition from local upbringing to university life at Leeds
Scope Limits
- The narrative concludes at the end of his university studies and does not cover his later professional career
- The text focuses primarily on the author's early life rather than a comprehensive history of the period
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Critics and scholars frequently cite this work as a vital companion to Hoggart's broader cultural studies, noting its observational clarity and historical value. Experts highlight the text as a foundational memoir for understanding the social landscape of pre-war England through an academic lens.
Page Count:
237
Publication Date:
1989-01-01
ISBN-10:
019282693X
ISBN-13:
9780192826930
Autobiography
Memoir
Biography
British literature
20th Century
New Used & Rental Textbooks
Social History
Criticism & Theory