End-of-Term Exercise on Identifying British Cultural

Practices, Values, Matters of Interest/Concern, Perspectives

HELP RECEIVED: Previous work from class; spellcheck; googled when the Church of England started

1. Look back at the assignments and reflections that you did this semester, and then write beneath each title what you find to be some of the most interesting and significant cultural practices, matters of cultural interest/concern, and/or cultural values (or perspectives) that you observed in studying each work.

Significant: i.e., something to pay attention to if one is to be knowledgeable about British culture. Interesting: i.e., something that resonated with you personally.

 

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales                                1387-1400

Significant: Chivalry; class system; marriage; gender roles; Church corruption

Interesting: Comedy

 

William Shakespeare, Henry V                                                    1599

Significant: Suspicion of the Catholic Church and government; national history to take pride in and live up to (Once more unto the breach speech); lower class has less buy-in of the war; moral authority of the king to declare war questioned and defended.

Interesting: National identities in the British Isles; historical inaccuracy in the play regarding which nations fought on which side in the war; death penalty for crimes that would be considered minor today.

 

Renaissance:  Poems by Shakespeare and Donne    (late 16^th-early 17^th c.)

Significant: Sonnets

Interesting: Love poem about a flea

 

Rudyard Kipling, “The Man Who Would Be King”                                1888

Significant: Imperialism with moral authority; Freemasonry; what it means to be a king

Interesting: Relationship between Europeans and natives

 

World War I Poems                                                                                                         1914-1920

Significant: De-glorification of the war

Interesting: Criticism of political leaders

 

George Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant” and “The Hanging”                            1936, 1931

Significant: Imperialism in its final decades

Interesting: Death penalty; relationship between Europeans and natives

2. 2. Describe below cultural practices, matters of cultural interest/concern, or cultural values (or perspectives) that you observed in more than one work. For each one, discuss interesting similarities and differences as you move from one work to another. Consider what might account for the differences.

Imperialism appeared in both Kipling and Orwell’s work. Kipling is more permissive of imperialism and implies there is a “right” way to be an imperial power. Orwell sympathizes with the colonial independence movement. Perhaps time and experience caused the difference in opinion. World War I and, soon after Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant,” World War II, contributed to the end of the British Empire. Also, Orwell sees the “dirty work” of the empire (p1, Shooting an Elephant).

War is another concern. British history is full of war, and the literature in this class directly relates to the Battle of Agincourt and World War I. Shakespeare’s account of Agincourt shows perspectives from the king all the way down to conscripts. Overall the battle seems to be a proud chapter in British military history. The Great War poetry, on the other hand, generally takes the opposite view.

Another concern is the relationship between the British and indigenous people in the colonies. The Man Who Would Be King, “Shooting an Elephant,” and “The Hanging” all show the natives as subordinates to the British. “The Hanging” shows a fairly cordial relationship, “Shooting an Elephant” shows mutual contempt, and The Man Who Would Be King portrays the natives as a little bit gullible and superstitious.

3. On which of the above do you want to focus your reflective essay?

Tentatively on imperialism and our authors’ reactions to it.

4. Why do you think your selection(s) is/are particularly significant?

Imperialism and the relationship between the British and the indigenous people is naturally a significant topic. I read somewhere that something like a quarter of the world’s land mass was part of the British Commonwealth at the height of the empire. War is also a significant topic considering the repercussions wars have had on British history and politics.

5. Why do you think your selection(s) is/are particularly interesting to you personally?

Imperialism is an interesting part of history, and of course even the United States began as an English colony.