Notes-on-the-English-Character-by-E.M.-Forster

Firstnote.IhadbetterletthecatoutofthebagatonceandrecordmyopinionthatthecharacteroftheEnglishisessentiallymiddleclass.Thereisasoundhistoricalreasonforthis,for,sincetheendoftheeighteenthcentury,themiddleclasseshavebeenthedominantforceinourcommunity.TheygainedwealthbytheIndustrialRevolution,politicalpowerbytheReformBillof1832;theyareconnectedwiththeriseandorganizationoftheBritishEmpire;theyareresponsiblefortheliteratureofthenineteenthcentury.Solidity,caution,integrity,efficiency.Lackofimagination,hypocrisy.Thesequalitiescharacterizethemiddleclassesineverycountry,butinEnglandtheyarenationalcharacteristicsalso,becauseonlyinEnglandhavethemiddleclassesbeeninpowerforonehundredandfiftyyears.Napoleon,inhisrudeway,calledusanationofshopkeepers.Weprefertocallourselvesagreatcommercialnation--itsoundsmoredignified--butthetwophrasesamounttothesame.Ofcoursethereareotherclasses:thereisanaristocracy,therearethepoor.Butitisonthemiddleclassesthattheeyeofthecriticrests--justasitrestsonthepoorinRussiaandonthearistocracyinJapan.Russiaissymbolizedbythepeasantorbythefactoryworker;Japanbythesamurai;thenationalfigureofEnglandisMr.Bullwithhistophat,hiscomfortableclothes,hissubstantialstomach,andhissubstantialbalanceatthebank.SaintGeorgemaycaperonbannersandinthespeechesofpoliticians,butitisJohnBullwhodeliversthegoods.AndevenSaintGeorge--ifGibboniscorrect--woreatophatonce;hewasanarmycontractorandsuppliedindifferentbacon.Itallamountstothesameintheend.SecondNote.JustastheheartofEnglandisthemiddleclasses,sotheheartofthemiddleclassesisthepublicschoolsystem.Thisextraordinaryinstitutionislocal.ItdoesnotevenexistallovertheBritishIsles.ItisunknowninIreland,almostunknowninScotland(countriesexcludedfrommysurvey),andthoughitmayinspireothergreatinstitutions--Aligarh,forexample,andsomeoftheschoolsintheUnitedStates--itremainsunique,becauseitwascreatedbytheAnglo-Saxonmiddleclasses,andcanflourishonlywheretheyflourish.Howperfectlyitexpressestheircharacter--farbetterforinstance,thandoestheuniversity,intowhichsocialandspiritualcomplexitieshavealreadyentered.Withitsboarding-houses,itscompulsorygames,itssystemofprefectsandfagging,itsinsistenceongoodformandonespritdecorps,itproducesatypewhoseweightisoutofallproportiontoitsnumbers.Onleavinghisschool,theboyeithersetstoworkatonce--goesintothearmyorintobusiness,oremigrates--orelseproceedstotheuniversity,andafterthreeorfouryearsthereenterssomeotherprofession--becomesabarrister,doctor,civilservant,schoolmaster,orjournalist.(Ifthroughsomemishaphedoesnotbecomeamanualworkeroranartist.)Inallthesecareershiseducation,ortheabsenceofit,influenceshim.Itsmemoriesinfluencehimalso.Manymenlookbackontheirschooldaysasthehappiestoftheirlives.Theyrememberwithregretthatgoldentimewhenlife,thoughhard,wasnotyetcomplex,whentheyallworkedtogetherandplayedtogetherandthoughttogether,sofarastheythoughtatall;whentheyweretaughtthatschoolistheworldinminiatureandbelievedthatnoonecanlovehiscountrywhodoesnotlovehisschool.AndtheyprolongthattimeasbesttheycanbyjoiningtheirOldBoys'society:indeed,someofthemremainOldBoysandnothingelsefortherestoftheirlives.Theyattributeallgoodtotheschool.Theyworshipit.TheyquotetheremarkthatThebattleofWaterloowaswonontheplayingfieldsofEton.ItisnothingtothemthattheremarkisinapplicablehistoricallyandwasnevermadebytheDukeofWellington,andthattheDukeofWellingtonwasanIrishman.Theygoonquotingitbecauseitexpressestheirsentiments;theyfeelthatiftheDukeofWellingtondidn'tmakeitheoughttohave,andifhewasn'tanEnglishmanheoughttohavebeen.Andtheygoforthintoaworldthatisnotentirelycomposedofpublic-schoolmenorevenofAnglo-Saxons,butofmenwhoareasvariousasthesandsofthesea;intoaworldofwhoserichnessandsubtletytheyhavenoconception.Theygoforthintoitwithwell-developedbodies,fairlydevelopedminds,andundevelopedhearts.AnditisthisundevelopedheartthatislargelyresponsibleforthedifficultiesofEnglishmenabroad.Anundevelopedheart--notacoldone.Thedifferenceisimportant,andonitmynextnotewillbebased.ForitisnotthattheEnglishmancan'tfeel--itisthatheisafraidtofeel.Hehasbeentaughtathispublicschoolthatfeelingisbadform.Hemustnotexpressgreatjoyorsorrow,orevenopenhismouthtoowidewhenhetalks--hispipemightfalloutifhedid.Hemustbottleuphisemotions,orletthemoutonlyonaveryspecialoccasion.Onceuponatime(thisisananecdote)Iwentforaweek'sholidayontheContinentwithanIndianfriend.Webothenjoyedourselvesandweresorrywhentheweekwasover,butonpartingourbehaviourwasabsolutelydifferent.Hewasplungedindespair.Hefeltthatbecausetheholidaywasoverallhappinesswasoveruntiltheworldended.Hecouldnotexpresshissorrowtoomuch.ButinmetheEnglishmancameoutstrong.Ireflectedthatweshouldmeetagaininamonthortwo,andcouldwriteintheintervalifwehadanythingtosay;andunderthesecircumstancesIcouldnotseewhattherewastomakeafussabout.Itwasn'tasifwewerepartingforeverordying.Buckup,Isaid,dobuckup.Herefusedtobuckup,andIlefthimplungedingloom.Theconclusionoftheanecdoteisevenmoreinstructive.ForwhenwemetthenextmonthourconversationthrewagooddealoflightontheEnglishcharacter.Ibeganbyscoldingmyfriend.Itoldhimthathehadbeenwrongtofeelanddis