The Antiquary (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
At a glance:
- Author: Sir Walter Scott
- First Published: 1816
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fiction of manners
- Time of Work: Late eighteenth century
- Genres: Long fiction, Fiction of manners
- Subjects: Magic or magicians, Tricks, Supernatural, Eighteenth century, Lower classes, Illegitimacy, Scotland or Scottish people, Nobility
- Locales: Scotland
Places Discussed
Fairport. Fictional town on the eastern coast of Scotland that forms the novel’s central setting. Fairport is based on the real Scottish coastal town of Arbroath. Like its original, Fairport is a lively provincial mercantile town. Throughout The Antiquary, it functions not only as a setting, but also as a symbol for the energetic, if sometimes vulgar, present. In contrast to most of the novel’s main characters, the people of Fairport have little interest in the past. Their modern focus is on making money, gossip, and the threat of invasion at a time...
[The entire page is 1019 words long]
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