Responding To Margaret Thatcher's Death (palgrave Pivot)
by Louisa Hadley /
2014 / English / PDF
776.9 KB Download
This volume examines the range of responses to Margaret Thatcher's death in relation to the cultural discourses surrounding Thatcher in the 1980s and since her resignation. The responses examined include the anticipation of Thatcher's death in anti-Thatcher songs, official responses from politicians, social media responses, obituaries, picture tributes and the ceremonial funeral. In drawing from such a diverse range of responses, Hadley seeks to problematise the distinction between respectful and disrespectful responses. The analysis highlights how these responses blur the distinction between the public and the private in focusing on the personal aspects of Thatcher and the extent to which this is implicated in gender politics. Hadley suggests that this tactic is used by both supporters and critics of Thatcher and that it actually served to foreclose a critical engagement with Thatcher's political legacy.
