Description

The term resentment has dominated US news analysis since November 2016 Despite its increased use this word seems to defy easy categorization Does resentment describe many interlocking sentiments or is it just another way of saying anger Does it suggest an irrational grievance as opposed to a legitimate callout of injustice Does it imply political leanings or is it nonpartisan by nature

In The Return of Resentment Robert A Schneider explores these questions and more moving from eighteenthcentury Britain to the aftermath of the French Revolution to social movements throughout the twentieth century Schneider illustrates how resentment has morphed across time coming to express a collective sentiment felt by people and movements across the political spectrum In this history we discover resentments modernity and its ambiguityhow it can be used to dismiss legitimate critique and explain away violence but also convey a moral stance that demands recognition Schneider anatomizes the many ways resentment has been used to label presentday movements from followers of Trump and supporters of Brexit to radical Islamicists and proponents of identity politics Addressing our contemporary political situation in a novel way The Return of Resentment challenges us to think critically about the roles different emotions play in politics