Notes on the English Character by EM ForsterWord下载.docx
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agreatcommercialnation"
--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.Theyquotetheremarkthat"
ThebattleofWaterloowaswonontheplayingfieldsofEton."
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.Itoldhimthathehadbeenwrongtofeelanddisplaysomuchemotionuponsoslightanoccasion;
thatitwasinappropriate.Theword"
inappropriate"
rousedhimtofury."
What?
"
hecried."
Doyoumeasureoutyouremotionsasiftheywerepotatoes?
Ididnotlikethesimileofthepotatoes,butafteramoment'
sreflectionIsaid:
"
Yes,Ido;
andwhat'
smore,IthinkIoughtto.Asmalloccasiondemandsalittleemotionjustasalargeoccasiondemandsagreatone.Iwouldlikemyemotionstobeappropriate.Thismaybemeasuringthemlikepotatoes,butitisbetterthansloppingthemaboutlikewaterfromapail,whichiswhatyoudid."
Hedidnotlikethesimileofthepail."
Ifthoseareyouropinions,theypartusforever,"
hecried,andlefttheroom.Returningimmediately,headded:
No--butyourwholeattitudetowardemotioniswrong.Emotionhasnothingtodowithappropriateness.Itmattersonlythatitshallbesincere.Ihappenedtofeeldeeply.Ishowedit.Itdoesn'
tmatterwhetherIoughttohavefeltdeeplyornot."
Thisremarkimpressedmeverymuch.YetIcouldnotagreewithit,andsaidthatIvaluedemotionasmuchashedid,butuseditdifferently;
ifIpoureditoutonsmalloccasionsIwasafraidofhavingnoneleftforthegreatones,andofbeingbankruptatthecrisesoflife.Notetheword"
bankrupt."
Ispokeasamemberofaprudentmiddle-classnation,alwaysanxioustomeetmyliabilities,butmyfriendspokeasanOriental,andtheOrientalhasbehindhimatradition,notofmiddle-classprudencebutofkinglymunificenceandsplendour.Hefeelshisresourcesareendless,justasJohnBullfeelshisarefinite.Asregardsmaterialresources,theOrientalisclearlyunwise.Moneyisn'
tendless.Ifwespendorgiveawayallthemoneywehave,wehaven'
tanymore,andmusttaketheconsequences,whicharefrequentlyunpleasant.But,asregardstheresourcesofthespirit,hemayberight.Theemotionsmaybeendless.Themoreweexpressthem,themorewemayhavetoexpress.
Trueloveinthisdiffersfromgoldandclay,
Thattodivideisnottotakeaway.
SaysShelley.Shelley,atallevents,believesthatthewealthofthespiritisendless;
thatwemayexpressitcopiously,passionately,andalways;
thatwecanneverfeelsorroworjoytooacutely.
Intheaboveanecdote,IhavefiguredasatypicalEnglishman.Iwillnowdescendfromthatdizzyandsomewhatunfamiliarheight,andreturntomybusinessofnotetaking.AnoteontheslownessoftheEnglishcharacter.TheEnglishmanappearstobecoldandunemotionalbecauseheisreallyslow.Whenaneventhappens,hemayunderstanditquicklyenoughwithhismind,buthetakesquiteawhiletofeelit.Onceuponatimeacoach,containingsomeEnglishmenandsomeFrenchmen,wasdrivingovertheAlps.Thehorsesranaway,andastheyweredashingacrossabridgethecoachcaughtonthestonework,tottered,andnearlyfellintotheravinebelow.TheFrenchmenwerefranticwithterror:
theyscreamedandgesticulatedandflungthemselvesabout,asFrenchmenwould.TheEnglishmensatquitecalm.Anhourlater,thecoachdrewupataninntochangehorses,andbythattimethesituationswereexactlyreversed.TheFrenchmenhadforgottenallaboutthedanger,andwerechatteringgaily;
theEnglishmenhadjustbeguntofeelit,andonehadanervousbreakdownandwasobligedtogotobed.Wehavehereaclearphysicaldifferencebetweenthetworaces--adifferencethatgoesdeepintocharacter.TheFrenchmenrespondedatonce;
theEnglishmenrespondedintime.Theywereslowandtheywerealsopractical.Theirinstinctforbadethemtothrowthemselvesaboutinthecoach,becauseitwasmorelikelytotipoveriftheydid.Theyhadthisextraordinaryappreciationoffactthatweshallnoticeagainandagain.Whenadisastercomes,th