Abstract
Zadie Smith’s first historical novel, The Fraud, offers a critical insight into the legacy of the British Empire through the lens of postcolonial nostalgia. The story is set in Victorian England and centres on the infamous Tichborne Trial, which became a national debate questioning identity and class conflict. It highlights how memory and identity are shaped not only by what is remembered but also by what is silenced or forgotten. Smith blends history and fiction to subvert narratives of the past and show how history is constructed. This study suggests that in The Fraud, nostalgia works not as a romantic view of the past but as a way to question the legacy of empire. Instead of idealising the imperial past, the novel shows how memory continues to shape contemporary identities, power relations, and social tensions. This study examines how The Fraud uses nostalgia not as an emotional return to the past, but as a tool for historical critique. The analysis draws on Boym’s concept of nostalgia and is supported by ideas from postcolonial and memory studies. It focuses on how the novel connects personal longing with broader reflections on history and how the past continues to shape the present. The novel is centred on Andrew Bogle and Eliza Touchet, who often feel alienated from society. Their memories and perspectives reveal how injustice and silence are deeply rooted in the way history is told. Ultimately, the novel raises questions about how the empire is remembered and how its legacy continues to influence the present.
References
- Boym, S. (2002). The future of nostalgia. Basic Books.
- Conrad, J. (1996). Heart of darkness (4th ed.). W. W. Norton.
- Cornelius, B. J. (2019). Postcolonial nostalgia and meaning: New perspectives on contemporary South African writings (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
- Davis, F. (1979). Yearning for yesterday: A sociology of nostalgia. Free Press.
- Gilroy, P. (2005). Postcolonial melancholia. Columbia University Press.
- Heyrick, E. (1836). Immediate, not gradual abolition; or, An inquiry into the shortest, safest, and most effectual means of getting rid of West Indian slavery. Philadelphia Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society.
- Kaur, G. (2023, November 13). How The Fraud unpicks the Victorian novel. Kill Your Darlings. https://www.killyourdarlings.com.au/article/how-the-fraud-unpicks-the-victorian-novel/
- Kinsley, W. J. (1911). The Tichborne case. The Yale Law Journal, 20(7), 563–569.
- Kral, F. (2009). Critical identities in contemporary Anglophone diasporic literature. Palgrave Macmillan.
- LaCapra, D. (2014). Writing history, writing trauma (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Lukács, G. (1962). The historical novel (H. & S. Mitchell, Trans.). The Merlin Press.
- Mason, M. (2020). Sorrow and bliss. Harper.
- National Archives. (n.d.). Robert Wedderburn. https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/robert-wedderburn/
- Rasch, A. (2018). Postcolonial nostalgia: The ambiguities of white memoirs of Zimbabwe. Research in African Literatures, 30(2), 147–180. Indiana University Press.
- Smith, Z. (2023a). The Fraud. Penguin Books.
- Smith, Z. (2023b, April 4). In The Fraud, Zadie Smith seeks to “do absolute justice to the truth” [Interview transcript]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1197604421
- Ulin, D. L. (2023, May 27). The Fraud. 4Columns. https://4columns.org/ulin-david-l/the-fraud
- Van Der Heijer, M. (2014). A public and private Dutch West India interest. In G. Oostindie & J. V. Roitman (Eds.), Dutch Atlantic connections, 1680–1800: Linking empires, bridging borders (pp. 159–182). Brill.
- Wilberforce, W. (1996). A practical view of Christianity. Hendrickson Publishers.
Abstract
Zadie Smith’in ilk tarihi romanı The Fraud, Britanya İmparatorluğu’nun mirasına postkolonyal nostalji perspektifinden eleştirel bir bakış sunar. Hikâye, Viktorya dönemi İngiltere’sinde geçer ve kimlik ile sınıf çatışmasını gündeme getiren kötü şöhretli Tichborne Davası etrafında şekillenir. Roman, hafıza ve kimliğin yalnızca hatırlananlar üzerinden değil, aynı zamanda bastırılanlar ve unutulanlar aracılığıyla da nasıl biçimlendiğini vurgular. Smith, tarihi ve kurguyu harmanlayarak geçmişe dair anlatıları sorgular ve tarihin nasıl inşa edildiğini gözler önüne serer. Bu çalışma, The Fraud romanında nostaljinin geçmişe romantik bir özlem değil, imparatorluk mirasını sorgulamanın bir yolu olarak işlev gördüğünü öne sürmektedir. Roman, emperyal geçmişi yüceltmek yerine, kolektif belleğin günümüz kimliklerini, güç ilişkilerini ve toplumsal gerilimleri nasıl şekillendirmeye devam ettiğini ortaya koyar. Nostalji, bu bağlamda, duygusal bir geri dönüş değil; tarihsel bir eleştirinin aracı olarak değerlendirilir. Analiz, Svetlana Boym’un nostalji kavramına dayanmakta ve postkolonyal teori ile bellek çalışmaları çerçevesinden destek almaktadır. Romanın, bireysel özlemleri tarih üzerine daha geniş düşünsel sorgulamalarla nasıl ilişkilendirdiği ve geçmişin bugünü nasıl şekillendirmeyi sürdürdüğü incelenmektedir. Romanın merkezinde yer alan Andrew Bogle ve Eliza Touchet, toplumla tam olarak bağ kuramayan karakterlerdir. Onların anıları ve bakış açıları, adaletsizlik ile suskunluğun tarihin anlatılma biçimine ne denli yerleşik olduğunu ortaya koyar. Sonuç olarak, roman, imparatorluğun nasıl hatırlandığına ve bu geçmişin bugün üzerindeki etkilerine dair önemli sorular gündeme getirir.
References
- Boym, S. (2002). The future of nostalgia. Basic Books.
- Conrad, J. (1996). Heart of darkness (4th ed.). W. W. Norton.
- Cornelius, B. J. (2019). Postcolonial nostalgia and meaning: New perspectives on contemporary South African writings (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
- Davis, F. (1979). Yearning for yesterday: A sociology of nostalgia. Free Press.
- Gilroy, P. (2005). Postcolonial melancholia. Columbia University Press.
- Heyrick, E. (1836). Immediate, not gradual abolition; or, An inquiry into the shortest, safest, and most effectual means of getting rid of West Indian slavery. Philadelphia Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society.
- Kaur, G. (2023, November 13). How The Fraud unpicks the Victorian novel. Kill Your Darlings. https://www.killyourdarlings.com.au/article/how-the-fraud-unpicks-the-victorian-novel/
- Kinsley, W. J. (1911). The Tichborne case. The Yale Law Journal, 20(7), 563–569.
- Kral, F. (2009). Critical identities in contemporary Anglophone diasporic literature. Palgrave Macmillan.
- LaCapra, D. (2014). Writing history, writing trauma (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Lukács, G. (1962). The historical novel (H. & S. Mitchell, Trans.). The Merlin Press.
- Mason, M. (2020). Sorrow and bliss. Harper.
- National Archives. (n.d.). Robert Wedderburn. https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/robert-wedderburn/
- Rasch, A. (2018). Postcolonial nostalgia: The ambiguities of white memoirs of Zimbabwe. Research in African Literatures, 30(2), 147–180. Indiana University Press.
- Smith, Z. (2023a). The Fraud. Penguin Books.
- Smith, Z. (2023b, April 4). In The Fraud, Zadie Smith seeks to “do absolute justice to the truth” [Interview transcript]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1197604421
- Ulin, D. L. (2023, May 27). The Fraud. 4Columns. https://4columns.org/ulin-david-l/the-fraud
- Van Der Heijer, M. (2014). A public and private Dutch West India interest. In G. Oostindie & J. V. Roitman (Eds.), Dutch Atlantic connections, 1680–1800: Linking empires, bridging borders (pp. 159–182). Brill.
- Wilberforce, W. (1996). A practical view of Christianity. Hendrickson Publishers.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | British and Irish Language, Literature and Culture |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | October 12, 2025 |
| Publication Date | October 17, 2025 |
| Submission Date | July 7, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | September 5, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 9 Issue: 3 |
