Dehumanization and Propaganda in Ali Smith’s Spring (2019)

Ali Smith’s series of novels, known as the Seasonal Quartet (2016–2020), has received significant academic acclaim for its exposure of political lies, post-truth mindsets, and the xenophobic sentiments of the Brexit Leave campaign. Nonetheless, there has been minimal focus on the specific mechanisms that allow institutions of power to construct a divisive narrative of political, social, and immigration instability. The third novel in the series, Spring (2019), distinguishes itself by scrutinizing the anti-immigrant rhetoric within the post-Brexit UK political environment. In Spring, language is politically manipulated to become a tool for various forms of propaganda and dehumanization. This propagandistic language use revealed in the novel fosters demagoguery and marginalization of immigrant groups in the post-Brexit UK. The inhumane treatment of immigrants in detention centres results from this dehumanization, stripping both detainees and employees of their subjectivity and agency. Ultimately, Spring presents a counter to the politicized abuse of language by emphasizing its potential to tell stories, unite people, and amplify the voices of those victimized by political discourse.