Notes on the English Character by EM Forster.docx

Notes on the English Character by EM Forster.docx

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NotesontheEnglishCharacterbyEMForster

Firstnote.IhadbetterletthecatoutofthebagatonceandrecordmyopinionthatthecharacteroftheEnglishisessentiallymiddleclass.Thereisasoundhistoricalreasonforthis,for,sincetheendoftheeighteenthcentury,themiddleclasseshavebeenthedominantforceinourcommunity.TheygainedwealthbytheIndustrialRevolution,politicalpowerbytheReformBillof1832;theyareconnectedwiththeriseandorganizationoftheBritishEmpire;theyareresponsiblefortheliteratureofthenineteenthcentury.Solidity,caution,integrity,efficiency.Lackofimagination,hypocrisy.Thesequalitiescharacterizethemiddleclassesineverycountry,butinEnglandtheyarenationalcharacteristicsalso,becauseonlyinEnglandhavethemiddleclassesbeeninpowerforonehundredandfiftyyears.Napoleon,inhisrudeway,calledus"anationofshopkeepers."Weprefertocallourselves"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