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 hitress the Projects Co-ordinating Committee. The French able was a slight, neat figure in an English tweed top half a size too big for him with it he wore a pale blue button-down shirt of American cotton, an Italian attracter of flamboyant restraint, inter terra firmaal charcoal wool trousers, and a pair of tasselled French loafers (54). Julian Barnes uses his postimperial novel, England, England, to critique what England, under Tony Blairs administration, is moving towards a recreated Britain, an all-inclusive republic with no appreciation of its history, except that which has been distorted in order be politically correct or somehow realise the country. done this quote, it becomes evident that Barnes sees England grasping to be defined, not by its prolific past, but by other nations possible tourists, possible residents that may add diversity and, thus, a shif t towards breaking old stereotypes and becoming a modernized nation. When Sir Jack Pitman, Englands scheming tycoon, recruits the best of the best to advocate him in creating his theme ballpark of re-created English history, England, England, he calls in a Frenchman to do the job. Barnes juxtaposes this mans guinea pigity to the idea of the theme park a Frenchman is assisting in the development of a project whose end entails deal Englishness. Barnes is steering the ridiculousness of Britain looking toward a new national identity operator but achieving it by becoming a melting pot of nations. Barnes is pointing forth that while a nation should embrace all nationalities, it cannot simply exhaust its history to achieve that. Otherwise, it becomes like... ..., Britain will lose a sense of her past, safe as the Frenchman only checks minimal 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 adapt but never forget or lay aside its identity as its own nation. Barnes subtly asks the British where that line will be drawn. They must not allow themselves to take things quite as far 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.