The Transformative Power of Art in Ali Smith’s Fiction

What is it about?

This chapter looks at how Ali Smith’s disruptive characters use art to cause change in others. It considers how these encounters help characters deal with their personal traumas and how these crises reflect larger social and political issues. The chapter discusses Smith’s idea of “elsewhere” from her short-story collection Public Library, showing how her stories promote “artivism”—the idea that art can inspire emotional and social change. It also explores how themes like borders in her stories encourage us to rethink our connection with others and the environment.

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Why is it important?

This chapter is important because it highlights how Smith’s stories use art as a tool for emotional and social transformation. Her work encourages readers to engage with reality not just through ideas but through feelings, fostering empathy and awareness. It reveals her deep belief in the resilience of art and literature to heal and bring people together in a fragmented world, emphasising dialogue and ecological coexistence as essential values.

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