Т.В. Артеменко, Е.В. Кривощекова, Е.В. Кравченко, Н.Е. Николаева - Reader in Language and Culture - Part II

Московский государственный университет им. М.В.ЛомоносоваREADERIN LANGUAGE AND CULTUREFOR JUNIOR STUDENTS OF THE HUMANITIESPart II.МОСКВА20071EnglandNationalism and IdentityForewarnedThe attitude of the English towards other nations is not so muchxenophobia (fear of foreigners) as xenopili (pity for foreigners for havingthe misfortune to be, well, NOT English).

As Cecil Rhodes once observed,'To be born English is to win first prize in the lottery of life'. It is hardlysurprising, then, that the English should feel a bit sorry for all the runnersup.The last invasion of England was perpetrated 900 years ago by theNormans. They settled, they worked hard, they tried to integrate and fit in,they tried to share their wisdom and experience with the locals. They failed.The English did what they do best. They ignored the funny cooking smells,the unfamiliar clothes and peculiar accents and set about the long, slow,arduous task of turning the invaders into Englishmen.It took centuries of course, but it worked.

'Norman' is no longer a nameredolent of invasion and locking up one's daughters: it is a quintessentialEnglish first name.The Venetian Ambassador, Andrea Travisana, visiting London in 1497made the following observation about the English: 'They do not believe thatthere are any other people than themselves, or any other world thanEngland; and whenever they see some handsome foreigner, they say, 'Helooks like an Englishman,' or, 'What a pity he is not English.'The English today are not as unanimous in this view as they once were,some regarding England as a place to escape from at every opportunity, butthe majority remain innately mistrustful of 'abroad' - dodgy food, dodgywater, dodgy plumbing, and, worst of all, dodgy foreigners.This is what you are up against.

It is useless to imagine that you cansucceed where so many have failed. But since it is the proudest boast of the2English that they cannot begin to understand foreigners, it would begratifying to steal a march on them by trying to understand them.How They See ThemselvesThe English see themselves as law abiding, courteous, tolerant, decent,generous, gallant, steadfast and fair. They also take pride in their selfdeprecatory sense of humour which they see as the ultimate proof of theirgood nature.Though they put themselves down in public, in their heart of hearts theybelieve the English to be superior to all other nations, and are convincedthat all other nations secretly know that they are.

In a perfect world, theEnglish suspect that everyone would like to be more like them.Geography reinforces this belief as the inhabitants look out to the sea allaround them from the fastness of their 'tight little island'. Nobody wouldever question the aptness of the newspaper headline: 'Fog in the Channel Continent cut off.'The English are convinced that the best things in life originate inEngland or have been improved there.

Even the weather, though it may notbe pleasant, is far more interesting than anyone else's and is always full ofsurprises.How They Think Others See ThemThe English are dimly aware of foreign criticism but feel it should not betaken too seriously They are convinced, with some justification, that no-onereally understands them. In the words of a much loved song-writer MichaelFlanders: 'The English are moral, the English are good, And clever, andmodest, and misunderstood.'This is not a cause for national concern, since they do not want to beunderstood, feeling it to be an invasion of their privacy.In general the English are aware of their faults - class consciousness,3insularity and a fixation with tradition -but think these are outweighed bytheir good points.

They are used to being seen as stereotypes and prefer itthat way: they don't mind in the least that England is seen as peopled bybowler-hatted city types, football hooligans, silly-ass nobility and cheekycockneys, all meeting at an ancient pub for a pint of warm beer.How Others Actually See ThemTo outsiders the English are intellectually impenetrable. They expresslittle emotion, their culinary appreciation is incomprehensible and thepleasures of life seem to pass them by as they put up with shoddiness anddiscomfort.

They are seen as hidebound, prejudiced and uncooperative - apeople largely unmoved by developments in the world around them, wholive in a land of costume dramas, shrouded in grey skies, sustained by deepfried sausages.How They Would Like To Be SeenThe English pride themselves on their sense of fair play, and ratherassume that it is recognised and generally admired by all. They would liketo be loved and appreciated for what they see as their sterling qualities.These attributes, which they bring selflessly to the world forum, include areflex action which leads them to champion the underdog and treatpersecutors with a firm hand, truthfulness, and a commitment never tobreak a promise or to go back on their word. Foreigners are expected tounderstand that if an Englishman hasn't kept his word, there is a very goodreason for it.The English sincerely believe that they acquired the largest Empire theworld has ever seen as first prize in some sort of sporting contest, whichthey won fair and square.

(The point is that that they did indeed play by therules, but only because the rules, like those of cricket, were made up by the4English.)If possible, try to find it in your heart to be charitable about these andother beliefs, even if you are convinced they are delusions. Aside fromanything else, the moment you disagree with their vision of themselves,most English will take your side and agree with you. Respect for theunderdog, you see.How They See Each OtherNowhere is the English people's instinctive distrust of the unfamiliarmore clearly seen than in their attitude to the denizens of their own country.Since time immemorial there has been a North-South divide in England.To the Southerner, civilization ends somewhere around the Watford Gap(just north of London). Beyond that point, he believes, the inhabitants areall ruddier in complexion, more hairy, blunt to the point of rudeness, andobsessed with stew —all of which he generously puts down to the coolerclimate.In the North they caution their children with tales of the deviousness ofthe inhabitants 'down South'.

They point to their softness, their fussy foodand their airy-fairiness on all matters of real importance.Nevertheless, any English person no matter how hairy or soft, is entitledto special treatment.When it comes to their neighbours in the British Isles, the English are inabsolutely no doubt as to their own predominance. This they see as no pettyprejudice but rather as a scientific observation. The Irish are not to betrusted because they are too feckless, the Scots are not be trusted because(though clever) they are too careful, and the Welsh are simply not to betrusted.However, the Irish, the Scots and the Welsh should take heart.

To mostof the English they are not quite as foreign as their cousins across theChannel. They should also remember that 'foreign-ness' for the English5tends to start at the end of their own street.How They See OthersThe rest of the world the English see as a playground: a series ofinterlocking peoples, customs and cultures all of which can be enjoyed,used, or discarded as the whim takes them. Their own experience has taughtthem to expect the worst of any situation, be pleasantly surprised if itdoesn't happen, and slightly gratified with their own sensible misgivings ifit does. Despite this, the English do like many individuals who are foreignsince they generally know at least one foreigner who is almost 'one of us'.But there are very few nations they either trust or take seriously.

Takethe French. The French and the English have been sparring partners for solong that the English have developed a kind of love-hate relationship withthem. The English love France: they love its food and wine and thoroughlyapprove of its climate. They have a subconscious historical belief that theFrench have; no right to be living in France at all, to the extent that thousands of English try annually to turn certain areas of France into littlecorners of Surrey.However, the actual French are perceived as a bit too excitable for anypeople with ambitions on the world stage. It is thought that a few moredecades of English influence would improve them no end.With the Germans the English are less equivocal. Germans areregimented, far too serious, and inclined to bullying; they have not even thesaving grace of culinary skill.

The Italians are too emotional; the Spanishcruel to bulls; the Russians are gloomy; the Dutch solid and sensible; theScandinavians, Belgians and Swiss, dull. All oriental peoples areinscrutable and dangerous.The Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans are in a specialcategory: they play cricket.6Special RelationshipsThere are several favoured nations with whom the English feel a specialaffinity. They have close ties with the Australians, despite theirdisconcerting lack of restraint, the Kiwis, who have model manners but anannoying tendency to thrash them at rugby, and the Canadians who elicitsympathy for being weighed down by permanent snow and being constantlymistaken for Americans.The English like Americans and in many ways would probably like themeven more if only they didn't insist on being quite so... well... American.The English regard Americans as English people who turned into somethingelse as the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding, and who would be alot happier if they just had the sense to turn back again.

Then they wouldstart talking Proper English.English viewers watch participants on American television 'confess-itall' shows with fascinated disbelief and blame falling standards in their owncultural life on American influence. In the final analysis, however, theydon't complain too much to the Americans about this as they are keen tomaintain good relations with them for the sake of commercial and politicaladvantage.Naturally, this does not stop English people from feeling quite free tocompare their two countries - to America's disadvantage. A smug feelingprevails that having a history that goes back a bit further than the day beforeyesterday is a sign of a superior culture.CharacterIndividualismThe English have a well-developed sense of individual personal freedomwhich at its most dogmatic says: 'I will obey the law only because I chooseto do so.