Monday, July 6, 2020
Twentieth Century Novels and the Reconstruction of British Identity - Literature Essay Samples
During the twentieth century, particularly from 1920 to 2000, the British national identity underwent a dramatic transformation in response to the major historical events of the century: the conclusion of World War I, the decline of imperialism, and the immigration from former colonies to England after World War II. Three prominent twentieth-century novels reflect the changes in British identity. Virginia Woolfââ¬â¢s Mrs. Dalloway demonstrates how, in the aftermath of World War I, the traditional British identity suffered a devastating blow as the heavy causalities of the war shattered the countryââ¬â¢s nationalism. In 1923, when the novel takes place, the Age of Imperialism was dwindling and the British Empireââ¬â¢s colonial influence began deteriorating. Set in the mid 1920s, E.M. Forsterââ¬â¢s A Passage to India illustrates the fractured, racially-stratified British identity that existed after the destruction of Britainââ¬â¢s traditional national identity. Zadie Smi thââ¬â¢s novel White Teeth takes place during the mid to late twentieth century and details the formation of a contemporary, diverse British identity in response to increasing immigration from former colonies. The three novels use fiction to demonstrate how Britainââ¬â¢s national identity evolves over time from a closed-off, traditional British identity based on national pride to a muddled, race-based British identity to a modern, multi-ethnic national identity during the twentieth century. Virginia Woolfââ¬â¢s novel, Mrs. Dalloway, uses two characters to portray the breakdown of the traditional British identity after the Age of Imperialism comes to a close, thereby crushing the imperial basis of the nationââ¬â¢s identity, and after WWI obliterates a fundamental aspect of the national identity, British nationalism. The novel takes place in 1923 London as Britainââ¬â¢s Age of Imperialism draws to a close and the Empire begins to lose influence over its colonies. One character, Lady Bruton, represents imperialism in the British identity because of her military lineage and her devotion to the imperial beliefs of the British Empire. A description of Lady Bruton states, ââ¬Å"one could not figure her even in death parted from the earth or roaming territories over whichâ⬠¦ the Union Jack had ceased to fly. To be not English even among the dead-no, no! Impossible!â⬠(Woolf 181). The narrator claims that even in death, Lady Brutonââ¬â¢s British identity wo uld remain steadfast. However, the exclamations ââ¬Å"no, no! Impossible!â⬠about the loss of national identity reflect denial and self-reaffirmation rather than validity. Instead of convincing the reader of the British Empireââ¬â¢s invincibility, the two fragmented, random utterances presage Britainââ¬â¢s downfall. The narrator mentions the ââ¬Å"roaming territoriesâ⬠under British control, which alludes to the British Empireââ¬â¢s imperial conquests. In contrast, the narrator references territories where ââ¬Å"the Union Jack had ceased to flyâ⬠, which exemplifies Britainââ¬â¢s imperial influence fading after World War I. Through the description of Lady Bruton, Woolf demonstrates the pivotal role imperialism plays in the national identity and how the weakening imperial influence of Great Britain after the war destroys part of British identity. On the other hand, the novelââ¬â¢s protagonist, Clarissa Dalloway, represents nationalismââ¬â¢s central role in British identity. After ambling around London running errands in preparation for her party, Clarissa Dalloway describes the sensation caused by the presence of a nobility-filled and says, ââ¬Å"for in all the hat shops and tailorsââ¬â¢ shops strangers looked at each other and thought of the dead; of the flag; of Empireâ⬠(Woolf 18). Seeing a regal car incites nationalistic thoughts among the townspeople, which causes the crowd to contemplate ââ¬Å"the deadâ⬠, ââ¬Å"the flagâ⬠, and the ââ¬Å"Empire.â⬠The mention of ââ¬Å"the deadâ⬠refers to the deadliest conflict in history at the time, World War I. The ââ¬Å"flagâ⬠, or the Union Jack, serves as the ultimate symbol of Great Britainââ¬â¢s nationalism when it flies over England but when the flag flies above foreign territories, it represents the nationââ¬â¢s imperial ambitio n. Another interpretation of the three words, however, signifies the death of British nationalism by associating death with the flag of the Empire. After the British Empire suffers through the brutality of World War I, the nation emerges victorious but with heavy casualties and its nationalism-based British identity shattered. E.M. Forsterââ¬â¢s novel, A Passage to India, uses fiction to portray the fragmented, race-based British identity that emerges in the aftermath of World War I and the Age of Imperialism. Throughout the novel, Forster uses the attitudes of British characters to critique British societyââ¬â¢s over-inflated sense of nationalism that led to the nationââ¬â¢s aggressive imperialist tendencies and the racism that justifies Britainââ¬â¢s imperialism. In describing a group of Englishmen discussing the polarizing trial between an Englishwoman and the Indian accused of assaulting her, the narrator says, ââ¬Å"[those] simple words had reminded them that they were an outpost of Empireâ⬠(Forster 202). The discussion of the trial inflames the imperialistic views of the Anglo-Indians. They remember that they represent ââ¬Å"an outpost of Empire,â⬠which separates them from the Indians. The word ââ¬Å"outpostâ⬠has two meanings; it can be defined as either a military ca mp distant from the main base or a remote part of an empire. Both definitions allude to separation between the English and Indians, which would breed a strong sense of nationalism in the British outpost and foster their connection to the homeland. The Anglo-Indiansââ¬â¢ perception that they represent the empire allows them to channel their patriotism and feel proud of their national identity. In addition to strong nationalistic beliefs, paternalism and perceived racial superiority fuel British nationalism and imperial conquests. At the Bridge Party, where the British segregate themselves from the Indians and vice versa, Mrs. Turton tells Mrs. Moore, ââ¬Å"youââ¬â¢re superior to them, anyway. Donââ¬â¢t forget that. Youââ¬â¢re superior to everyone in Indiaâ⬠(Forster 42). Mrs. Turton embodies the racism that pervades the imperial British identity. She expresses the British viewpoint and interprets British identity as racial superiority rather than a common cultural i dentity. Her ethnocentric perception of ââ¬Å"superiorityâ⬠epitomizes the foundation of British nationalism and imperialism. Through the novelââ¬â¢s depiction of British charactersââ¬â¢ attitudes, Forster criticizes British societyââ¬â¢s reliance on racism to bolster national pride and maintain its national identity. White Teeth, a novel by Zadie Smith, explores the formation of a modern British identity that encompasses the multi-ethnic population of contemporary Britain. The novel details the experiences of first-generation and second-generation immigrants to illustrate their inclusion in modern British society. While the main characters listen to the news, the broadcast states, ââ¬Å"the twenty-eight-mile-long scarââ¬âthe ugliest symbol of a divided world, East and Westââ¬âhas no meaning anymoreâ⬠(Smith 199). The newscaster recounts the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The destruction of the wall, a symbol of the Cold Warââ¬â¢s divisiveness, signifies the integration of Eastern immigrants into British society. The ââ¬Å"divided worldâ⬠that the narrator mentions applies to not only the conflict between communism and democracy but also the general tension between East and West. Immigrants from the East encountered resistance from the British and often faced discriminatio n. The idea of the divide having ââ¬Å"no meaning anymoreâ⬠reflects the creation of a unified British identity to include all ethnicities, religions, and classes. While reflecting on the influx of immigrants to London during the mid twentieth century, the narrator says, ââ¬Å"it is still hard to admit that there is no one more English than the Indian, no one more Indian than the Englishâ⬠(Smith 272). The narrator notes the close ties between English and Indian mannerisms. By tying together the British and the Indians, the narrator hints at the colonial history of India as a colony of the British Empire. However, the quote also alludes to the blurred lines between colonial peoples and colonial rulers in the reformed British identity. Irie, the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant and an Englishman, ponders her British identity and says, she wanted to, well, kind of, merge with them. She wanted their Englishnessâ⬠¦It didnââ¬â¢t occur to her that the Chalfens were, aft er a fashion, immigrants too (third generation, by way of Germany and Poland, nà © Chalfenovsky)â⬠¦ to Irie, the Chalfens were more English than the English (Smith 273). Irie believes that the Chalfens represent the paradigm of Englishness and, therefore, she wants to merge with them to gain their British identity. Irieââ¬â¢s perception of the Chalfensââ¬â¢ British identity reflects the more open national identity of contemporary Britain. She ââ¬Å"wanted their Englishnessâ⬠because she views the Chalfens as British despite the fact that they ââ¬Å"wereâ⬠¦immigrants too.â⬠Irieââ¬â¢s perception of the Chalfens as ââ¬Å"more English than the Englishâ⬠demonstrates the openness of the modern British identity and the inclusion of immigrants in the national identity. The novelââ¬â¢s depiction of crumbling barriers and inclusivity in British society mirrors the shift to a modern British identity that incorporates the multi-cultural population of con temporary Britain. The three prominent twentieth-century novels reveal the modernization of British identity. Virginia Woolfââ¬â¢s Mrs. Dalloway demonstrates the complete annihilation of British identity after the devastation of World War I and the decline of imperialism destroyed two key aspects of the national identity: nationalism and imperialism. A Passage to India continues to trace the transformation of British identity by focusing on the convoluted, race-based British identity that emerges after World War I destroys Britainââ¬â¢s traditional identity. The novel White Teeth reflects the final form of Britainââ¬â¢s national identity. In the novel, British identity undergoes reconstruction to apply to people of all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, ages, and socioeconomic statuses. The three distinguished novels from the twentieth century reflect the transition from the destruction of British identity after World War I to the disjointed, race-based national identity and finally, the rebirth of British identity as a diverse, open national identity. Works Cited: Forster, E. M. A Passage to India. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984. Print. Smith, Zadie. White Teeth: A Novel. New York: Random House, 2000. Print. Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. New York: Harcourt, 1981. Print.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.