National Identity in Julian Barnes England, England Essay -- Julian B

National Identity in Julian Barnes England, EnglandThe finest tax-deductible minds were brought in to turn to the Projects Co-ordinating Committee. The French intellectual was a slight, neat watch in an English tweed jacket half a size too big for him with it he wore a pale blue materialistic shirt of American cotton, an Italian tie of flamboyant restraint, inter kingdomal draw wool trousers, and a pair of tasselled French loafers (54). Julian Barnes uses his postimperial novel, England, England, to revaluation what England, under Tony Blairs administration, is moving towards a recreated Britain, an all-inclusive nation with no appreciation of its history, except that which has been distorted in indian lodge be politically correct or somehow profit the country. Through this quote, it ricks evident that Barnes sees England covetous to be defined, not by its rich past, but by different nations possible tourists, possible residents that may add diversity and, thus, a breach towards breaking old stereotypes and seemly a modernized nation. When Sir Jack Pit homosexual, Englands scheming tycoon, recruits the best of the best to assist him in creating his theme pose of re-created English history, England, England, he calls in a Frenchman to do the job. Barnes juxtaposes this mans nationality to the idea of the theme park a Frenchman is assisting in the developing of a project whose end entails complete Englishness. Barnes is showing the ridiculousness of Britain look toward a new national individuation but achieving it by becoming a melting pot of nations. Barnes is pointing out that musical composition a nation should embrace all nationalities, it cannot simply erase its history to achieve that. Otherwise, it becomes like... ..., Britain will lose a sense of her past, just as the Frenchman only retains borderline signs of his true nationality. Barnes is using the Frenchman to help show the British that it must be decided where to draw the line. A nation must evolve and aline but never forget or lay aside its identity as its proclaim nation. Barnes subtly asks the British where that line will be drawn. They must not allow themselves to take things quite as faraway as the Frenchman. They must still retain heritage, because, after all, where would they be without it? A nation is not a nation without its own culture, its own past, its own people. A trade-off must be made in order for Britain to modernize, and England must find the middle ground. Through his book, England, England, Julian Barnes reminds the British that while searching for a new national identity, they must not become non-national.