The Ideology of Englishness - Essay Example

Discuss the ideology of Englishness as reflected in any two texts of two different genres in In this paper, I will attempt to discuss theideology of Englishness and how it is relevant to two texts – Kipling’s “A Sahib’s War and Wodehouse’s “Indian Summer of an Uncle”. Elaborating on Pierre Macherey’s ideology of a literary work, I will show that in the two texts Englishness means social, religious and racial differentiation. To begin with I would like to address the concept of Englishness. Lamming (1984) claims that the Englishness is defines as the privilege of using a certain language, sharing a common historical background, and literature of one groups of people over another groups, usually regarded as subordinated. Lamming continues that Englishness is often defined in its colonizing and expanding terms, as an instrument to demonstrate superiority and class division. Laclau (1985) sees the social differentiation also as geographical one – England and the colonized territories –West Indies, Africa, Australia. The geographical places also create ambiguity in the religious sphere, because if you are different on the bases on religious beliefs, historical background, social class, than one can not be included in the “Englishness” shared by the natives. . Lamming (1984) remarks that there is a linguistic barrier too – well-spoken English versus the broken English. Englishness appeared as an ideology as early as 18th, transforming itself into a modern phenomenon separating colonized people from the industrialized society and well-taught Christians from elite class. The distinguished English attitude establishes boundaries between the white race and the others described as savages and primitive (James 1984). Consequently, the very skin color empowers the people to incorporate certain English attitudes towards the different ones, adding more features into the differentiation. In this way the white people disempower the colonized subject, disparaging both his culture and his human status. Lamming (1984) gives an example of the English writer embodying the Englishness and the West Indian writer which can not be grasped as intelligent and thoughtful as the English one. In this sense otherness is seen “part of his historic contract, the English critic accepts-for what else can he do?-the privilege so natural and so free of being the child and product and voice of a colonizing civilization (Lamming 30).” The Englishness doctrine leads to hegemony and postcolonial supremacy (James 1984). Englishness lay paternity claims over the different cultures and renders invisibility so as to minimize their influential contribution to the variety of cultures that Englishness must include. Eagleton (1976) in his chapter ‘Ideology and literary form” includes a definition of “ideology” and how the literary form of it has brought it to disarray. “In English literary culture of the past century, the ideological basis of organic form is peculiarly visible, as a progressively impoverished bourgeois liberalism attempts to integrate more ambitious and affective ideological modes (Eagleton 161).”Macherey (2006) in his most pivotal literary theory focuses his attention both on the reader and on the writer. Macherey’s (2006) statement is that the very act of reading produces numerous interpretations and meanings in the different readers, which are beyond the control of the writer. Generating a new branch of post-structuralist theory Macherey (2006) argues that contemporary literature announces the death of the author, because it evokes all kinds of interpretations into its reader. Macherey (2006) compares the critical viewpoint of the reader with psychological analyses which aim to discover the hidden meaning behind the text. The text plays on the unconscious of the readers. In his short story “A Sahib’s War” Kipling uses the device of the “imperfectly-informed narrator”. The story is set during the Second Boer War and is told through Sikh soldier’s point of view. Although he reports everything that is happening around him, it seems that he can not fully comprehend what is going on, although it is very clear for the reader (McGivering 2007). What is captivating about the story is that Kipling has written it in an Indian voice, from Indian perspective. This openly sets the division between the Englishness and others. And he went to England, and he became a young man, and back he came, lilting a little in his walk, and cracking his finger-joints-back to his own regiment and to me. He had not forgotten either our speech or our customs. He was a Sikh at heart, Sahib. He was rich, open-handed, just, a friend of poor troopers, keen- eyed, jestful, and careless. I could tell tales about him in his first years. There was very little he hid from me. I was his Umr Singh, and when we were alone he called me Father, and I called him Son. Yes, that was how we spoke. We spoke freely together on everything-about war, and women, and money, and advancement, and such all. (Kipling A Sahib’s War) The linguistic analyses of the above text, clearly indicates the way Indians speak English and how they employ the words to express their ideas. Thus, in “A Sahib’s War” Kipling demonstrates through linguistic means what Englishness is – to speak proper, academic and literature English language. There is something abhorrent in the say Kipling tries to convey the message of Englishness in “A Sahib’s War. The racial slurs are audaciously displayed: “What is one Mussulman pig more or less (Kipling).” This hardly required any other interpretations rather than the once involving English, colonial imperialism and superiority to carry Englishness in oneself. To an extent Kipling employs the Indian narrator to emphasize the striking difference between the colonized way of thinking and conception of the world and to compare it with the English one. In his short story Kipling conveys imperialism ideas, trying to submerge the Englishness ideology in the context of the storyline. Englishness here implies supremacy – linguistic, cultural, religious. Values and self-esteem are shaping the English identity – on the British island and in West India. In Wodehouse’s story “Indian Summer of an Uncle” Jeeves saves Berties uncle Geaorge from a waitress who he is deeply in love with. In contrast with Kipling’s story, Wodehouse points out the class differentiation and how characters interpret their social status. The characters in the story are upper or middle class English bourgeoisie who perfectly fit into the definition of Englishness – refined speech, elegant manners, exquisite taste and yearnings for climbing higher on the social class ladder. Mannerism in profoundly rooted in the Englishness shown through the French expressions and Americanism. “As I interpret the document, sir, Mr. Glossop wishes you, when you come tomorrow, to bring his football boots. Also, if humanly possible, an Irish water-spaniel. He hints that the matter is urgent, and sends his regards (Wodehouse).” The elated way of speaking gives away the upper-class dialect, the correctness and formality of the language. Wodehouse’s characters are dramatically polite and pompous in addressing others which highlights the distinctiveness of being English. Another display of Englishness is the strong relative connections in the English family bonds. Aunts and uncles are put in pedestal and usually depicted with the snobbism and stinginess of English spinsters and old bachelors. Protectionism is also hinted by Wodehouse as a typical feature of the Englishness, especially exercised by aunts and uncles. “Bertie," said Aunt Dahlia, with a sort of frozen calm. "You are the Abysmal Chump. Listen to me. Its simply because I am fond of you and have influence with the Lunacy Commissioners that you werent put in a padded cell years ago. Bungle this business, and I withdraw my protection (Wodehouse).” The strong family bonds between spinster aunts and their nieces or nephews seems to also expose the Englishness in its literary forms and legal forms. In this case Bertie enjoys the protective attitude of Aunt Dahlia, who expresses the ideas and rules that have to be obeyed in order to continue her favorable disposition. Wodehouse’s Englishness in socially constructed – upper and middle class families, who are pleased to have strong ties with powerful relatives. In the texts that I chose I tried to clearly indicate what is meant by Englishness in literary terms. Englishness as an ideology can be traced in most of the English classic writers from the 18th and 19th century and can be defined as the proneness to exert particular social values, religious belonging, linguistic and behavioral mannerism and overall superiority. Englishness suggests colonial and human imperialism, which exercised empowering values. The provided literature examples give different perspectives in the Englishness. One that is described on the West Indian background and one that is transforming the English middle class society. Those diametrically opposite examples allow for more thorough description of the Englishness. Works Cited: Eagleton, Terry, Criticism and Ideology, London: New Left Books, 1976. James, C. L. R. Beyond a Boundary. New York: Pantheon Books, 1984. Kipling, R. A Sahib’s War, web. http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/8671/ Laclau, Ernesto, Chantal Mouffe. Hegemony and Socialist Strategy. London: Verso, 1985. Lamming, George. The Pleasures of Exile. London: Allison and Busby, 1984. Macherey, Pierre, A Theory of Literary Production, Routledge, 2006. McGivering, John, A Sahib’s War, web. http://www.kipling.org.uk/rg_sahibswar1.htm Wodehouse, P., Indian Summer of an Uncle, web. http://f2.org/humour/quotes/fic/wodehouse.html Read More