About the Book

The Arts, Literature and Society explores the complex and problematic relationships between cultural products - from Shakespeare to visual art, the novel, film and modern drama - and the societies which produce them. The contributors are all specialist authors in this increasingly important field of study.
The book demonstrates the latest ideas in linguistics, discourse and cultural theory allowing the reader to judge for themselves the significances of these approaches compared to more `traditional' methods of other specialists in the field.
Questioning whether the terms `the arts' and `literature' are legitimate, the contributors ensure a thought-provoking debate. The collection covers a wide range of topics relating to both Britain and Germany, from Shakespeare to German expressionism to today's political thrillers.