Hilary Mantel’s Re-appropriation of Whig Historiography: A Reading of The Wolf Hall Trilogy in the Context of Brexit

This article analyses Hilary Mantel’s critically-acclaimed Tudor novel series (Wolf Hall, 2009; Bring Up the Bodies, 2012; The Mirror & Light, 2020) in context of Brexit. Even though Mantel has dismissed any possible analogy between Reformation and Brexit, this research builds on hypothesis that past present interact historical fiction, a genre contributed to both feeding questioning myths upon which nations are constructed. More specifically, I focus trilogy’s protagonist, Thomas Cromwell, argue he is presented as architect what Whig historiography understood pillars Englishness (and, by extension, Britishness), often evoked discursive surrounding However, although narrative’s portrayal Cromwell undoubtedly fosters reader’s sympathy with character, deeper analysis characterisation narrative techniques —and, more Cromwell’s status flawed human being through lens turns out be an unreliable narrator— suggests cannot reduced simple vindication Whiggish notion Englishness, subtly instead latter built.