Notes-on-the-English-Character

NotesontheEnglishCharacterbyE.M.ForsterFirstnote.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，butonpartingourbehaviorwasabsolutelydifferent.Hewasplungedindespair.Hefeltthatbecausetheholidaywasoverallhappinesswasoveruntiltheworldended.Hecouldnotexpresshissorrowtoomuch.ButinmetheEnglishmancameoutstrong.Ireflectedthatweshouldmeetagaininamonthortwo，andcouldwriteintheintervalifwehadanythingtosay；andunderthesecircumstancesIcouldnotseewhattherewastomakeafussabout.Itwasn'tasifwewerepartingforeverordying.Buckup，Isaid，dobuckup.Herefusedtobuckup，andIlefthimplungedingloom.Theconclusionoftheanecdoteisevenmoreinstructive.ForwhenwemetthenextmonthourconversationthrewagooddealoflightontheEnglishcharacter.Ibeganbyscoldingmyfriend.