In the course of this essay the two books, How to be an alien by George Mikes and Empire of the Mind by Iqbal Ahmed, shall be carefully examined by placing an emphasis on how the sense of the British identity has changed since the end of the British Empire. The primary focus lies on the imperial and industrial decline, thus, due to the scope of this essay, other core issues that co-form the British identity, such as multiculturalism will not be considered. Mikes’ depictions are based on the English society of the beginning of the twentieth century, a time that was directly influenced by the decline of the empire. Ahmed’s experiences, on the other hand, are of a much more recent nature. This essay, therefore, presents the link between Britain losing its empire and the modern Britain of today.
Firstly, the effects of the end of the empire will be examined by presenting two opposing post-war theories, which will then be applied to Mikes’ How to be an alien. In order to picture the impact of the end of the empire, the role of cricket shall be investigated as well as the shift in social structures. Furthermore, the industrial decline, as a ‘fellow traveller’ of the imperial decline, is analysed by means of Ahmed’s Empire of the mind. The last part of this essay is dedicated to tracing the remnants of the empire on the basis of Ahmed’s journey.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Impact of the Empire's Decline
- The Minimal Impact Thesis
- The Role of Cricket
- The Shift in Social Structures
- The Impact of the Industrial Decline
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to explore how the two books "How to be an Alien" by George Mikes and "Empire of the Mind" by Iqbal Ahmed depict the shift in the constitution of British identity, specifically in light of the decline of the British Empire and the subsequent industrial decline.
- The impact of the end of the British Empire on British identity.
- The role of cricket as a symbol of British identity and its decline.
- The shifting social structures in post-war Britain and their effect on identity.
- The influence of industrial decline on the modern British landscape and identity.
- The enduring presence of the British Empire on modern British society.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the essay's objectives and framework. It outlines the two books under examination and their relevance to the study of British identity in the context of the empire's decline. The focus is on the effects of the empire's end and its relationship with the industrial decline, as well as their impact on the British self-image.
Chapter two explores the impact of the empire's decline on British society, examining two contrasting post-war theories. The chapter then analyzes Mikes' "How to be an Alien," focusing on his depictions of English society in the early 20th century, particularly his observations on the British desire to distinguish themselves from the rest of the world and the shift in social structures that occurred with the end of the empire. The role of cricket is also investigated as a symbol of British identity and its connection to the imperial past.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this essay include British identity, imperial decline, industrial decline, social structures, post-war Britain, cricket, class distinction, and the "gentleman" archetype.
- Quote paper
- Robert Stolt (Author), 2009, The Shift in the Sense and Constitution of British Identity , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/145243
