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.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Impact of the Empire’s Decline
3. The Impact of the Industrial Decline
4. Remnants of the Empire
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores how British identity has shifted and evolved following the decline of the British Empire, analyzing the transformation of national self-perception through the lens of political, economic, and social changes.
- The influence of the imperial decline on British society and national identity.
- The symbolic role of cricket as a reflection of changing class structures and imperial values.
- The impact of industrial decline on the self-identity of British cities and their inhabitants.
- The persistence of imperial legacies in contemporary British culture and architecture.
- The transition from a political empire to a perceived "cultural empire."
Excerpt from the Book
The Impact of the Empire’s Decline
The decline of the British Empire, as a significant factor that provoked a shift in the nation’s self-portrait, entailed various post-war theories about its impacts on the British society. The Minimal Impact Thesis, on the one hand, claims that due to the improvement of living standards, resulting in altered attitudes of the middle class, the public mood towards the end of the empire was dominated more or less by apathy. The theory argues that, while the eminence of the empire was replaced by a welfare state, the public concerns evolving around the British colonies were rather regarded as being a nuisance than important.
This theory is challenged by historians, who bespeak the sense of British identity being substantially marked by the empire. The conception of the empire, according to post-war theories, proved identification of the British nation itself and was a major aspect in recognising the country apart from the rest of Europe (Ward, 2001).
On the grounds of such claims, one cannot neglect that the end of empire must have left any trace. I do agree with the before-mentioned historians that after such a kind of a loss people are not able to view themselves in the same way they had before. There must have been an enormous shift in the nation’s sense of identity. Part of this identity, as raised above, is the importance for the British of distinguishing themselves from the rest of the world, especially from continental Europe, and preserving their very own national ideology.
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the scope of the essay, introducing the two primary texts and the central focus on how the loss of the British Empire influenced modern British identity.
2. The Impact of the Empire’s Decline: This section discusses post-war theories regarding the end of the empire and uses the sport of cricket as a case study to illustrate shifting social hierarchies and national values.
3. The Impact of the Industrial Decline: This chapter examines the physical and psychological effects of industrial decay on British cities like Birmingham and Sheffield, highlighting the connection between economic status and collective identity.
4. Remnants of the Empire: This part explores the enduring visible and institutional traces of the British Empire in modern architecture, cuisine, and educational systems.
5. Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the arguments, confirming that while the political empire has vanished, an imperial character persists and continues to shape the contemporary British consciousness.
Keywords
British Identity, British Empire, Imperial Decline, Industrial Decline, Social Change, Post-war Theories, National Identity, Multiculturalism, Cultural Empire, Cricket, Class Distinction, Modern Britain, Nostalgia, Collective Identity, National Ideology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic essay?
The essay examines how the sense and constitution of British identity have undergone significant shifts since the dissolution of the British Empire, using literary analysis to connect historical decline with modern national identity.
What are the primary thematic areas covered in this work?
The work centers on the imperial decline, the consequences of industrial downturn in British cities, the evolution of social class structures, and the persistent influence of the empire on contemporary British culture.
What is the central research objective?
The primary objective is to investigate the link between Britain's loss of its empire and the resulting transition in how the nation perceives itself, specifically through the insights provided by George Mikes and Iqbal Ahmed.
Which scientific or analytical methods are applied?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis of two primary texts, "How to be an alien" and "Empire of the Mind," while integrating historical and sociological theories from scholars like Ward, Cronin, Holt, and Woodward to substantiate the arguments.
What topics are addressed within the main body of the essay?
The main body investigates post-war societal responses to imperial decline, the role of cricket as a symbol of Englishness, the architectural and economic struggles of post-industrial cities, and the lingering traces of the "imperial character" in modern British institutions.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include British Identity, Imperial Decline, Industrial Decline, Social Change, Cultural Empire, National Identity, and Collective Identity.
How does the author interpret the transformation of Birmingham and Sheffield?
The author views these cities as illustrative examples of industrial decline, where the loss of their former manufacturing global supremacy reflects the nation's broader feelings of displacement and the struggle to redefine identity amidst physical and economic decay.
What does the author mean by the concept of a "cultural empire"?
The author argues that after the political dissolution of the British Empire, the country maintained its influence and supremacy through a "cultural empire," evidenced by the enduring global prestige of British educational institutions like Oxford and Cambridge.
- 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
