(Apologies in advance, as this is my first reddit post.)
I am currently working on an undergraduate thesis that focuses on the theme of exile and identity in a selection of Graham Greene's novels. I'm already working with relational literary material such as Dafoe, Conrad, West, Ovid, Said, etc. It has been suggested that I take a look at some materials related to Babylonian exile.
As it is really, really not an area of which I have much familiarity, I was hoping someone could point me in the direction of a concise source that I may consult. It doesn't necessarily have to relate to literature, but I'm looking for an article or book that would assist so that I can understand the historical/political/social events or impact of Babylonian exile--basically, what it was, what happened, what fallout occurred, how it related to "future" events, the impact upon individuals (I'm trying desperately not to say existentially, but...). Failing that, I'm hoping for a recommendation to point me to the correct/appropriate database(s) to look for materials. I've never done upper-level coursework in history, so I'm a bit stuck.
Any and all help much appreciated!
The most important thing to realize regarding the Babylonian Exile (I assume you mean the Judahite exile of 586 B.C.E.), is that a maximum of 10 percent of people were exiled. This is the highest estimation, with other estimations falling around the 5 percent level (see the article linked to below). The Babylonians only cared about exiling the aristocracy--people who could foment and fund rebellion.
About a generation later, those who wanted to return were allowed when Persian conquered Babylon. (It was a bloodless revolution.) Persia's policy was to allow people to return where they were from, as long as pro-Persian governor's maintained power.
For those who returned, they had to reassert their authority on those who had remained. This is the context of the works of Ezra-Nehimiah. The most telling struggle that we read about in the Hebrew Bible occurs in Ezra 10, where Ezra commands all people who have married foreign wives to divorce. Of course, the book of Ezra makes this look like a necessity, but it was likely a means of control exerted by the aristocrats who chose to return to Judah (called Yehud in this period.)
Other works that we have from this time are Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Daniel, Ecclesiastes, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. I would recommend reading Haggai and Zachariah from a study Bible (something like the Oxford Annotated Bible) to read how the people writing this literature had interpreted the exile themselves.
For some basic information, I would start by reading this very short summary on Boston University's website, especially the last few paragraphs.
Furthermore, there is a wonderful chapter available on the topic on Vanderbilt's website.