British Greatness and the Status Quo

While walking through the chambers of Westminster Abbey, I felt an overwhelming sense of “British greatness”. The idea that the church was centuries old, the colorful stained glass, and the names of the greatest contributors of Western culture that has seeped its way throughout the entire world reminded me of the United Kingdom’s cemented position as a world power. It is a nation that many countries look up to in a way. Shakespeare’s plays, Dickens’ literature, the Beatles’ music, and even the royal family’s elegance, are essential parts of knowing culture, history, and entertainment. Westminster Abbey is more than just a church or historical landmark; it is a standing reminder of Britain's tradition, achievements, and power. However, we cannot forget what it took to get Britain into this position. Centuries of imperialism, stealing, slavery, and slaughter, lifted Britain up to its powerful status and allowed the nation to develop the largest empire in world history. It is part of the British tradition to hold onto this concept of pride and exceptionalism. After all, it is uncomfortable to challenge the status quo in any society.

Charles Dickens explores the notion of the British status quo in the Tale of Two Cities through various aspects of society in the novel:

“Any one of these partners would have disinherited his son on the question of rebuilding Tellson’s. In this respect, the house was much on a par with the Country; which did very often disinherit its sons for suggesting improvements in laws and customs that had long been highly objectionable, but were only the more respectable.” 

The refusal to challenge or even improve upon traditions encapsulates Britain’s conservatism and the British people’s cemented notion of their nation being the greatest in the world. Tellson’s Bank holding onto its old-fashioned traditions shows how even smaller aspects of British society reject change and progress. Dickens shows us through storytelling that holding onto tradition is ingrained in British culture. 

We still see this British traditional perspective today through the United Kingdom’s politics. The success of Brexit is an example of this; the British people voted to leave the European Union, partly because of British society’s holding onto the notion of the UK being superior to Europe and the world due to its former position as the largest empire on the globe. A large proportion of British society refuses to recognize that the world has changed and clings on to its former glory by a thread. It fascinates me how this traditionalist mindset has continued to linger throughout history and still remains today.

Dickens’ portrayal of gripping onto the status quo not only reflects British society, but also societies around the world. Japan remains a deeply traditional and conservative society with strict social etiquette rules. Taiwan holds onto a notion of preserving its constitutional status as the “true” China. India still has its hierarchical caste system in place that influences interclass relationships between their people. I believe that the beauty of Dickens literature comes from the fact that it is a universal reflection of society. He presents the small details in a way that is significant to the readers’ connection between his fictional narratives and reality. 

In one of Westminster Abbey’s corridors, I walked past a plaque commemorating the British civil servants in India when it was a colony of the empire. The plaque states, “Let them not be forgotten for they served India well”. This plaque is a remnant of the glossing over of British atrocities committed during their imperial rule. From the British perspective, the times of their vast colonial empire were their glory days. They reminisce about that period, as that was when their nation had the most power, pride, and influence. To them, they “served India well”, because the exploitation of the region resulted in immense wealth for England. To India, their people suffered under institutional violence, theft, and oppression. This directly highlights the blind patriotism that is prevalent among the establishment, as the history in Westminster Abbey is simply told through praise of the British Empire. 

“Neither did [Roger Cly] call it a curious coincidence that true patriotism was his only motive too. He was a true Briton, and hoped there were many like him.”

We see this concept of blind patriotism in A Tale of Two Cities as well as through the characters of John Barsad and Roger Cly. They are presented as credible witnesses due to their “patriotism”. However, they are later revealed to be conmen and spies by Mr. Stryver. I think that it is quite intriguing how Barsad and Cly’s credibility were simply determined by their “patriotism”. The establishment failed to use other perspectives or factors to evaluate a witness’ character. The plaque commemorating the British colonization of India directly aligns with this incident in the book in my eyes. British pride holds utmost importance over anything else, including morality, justice, and human rights. 

Reading A Tale of Two Cities and walking through Westminster Abbey has made me understand that pride and nationalism is a primary driving force of the British establishment’s sense of patriotism, rather than a genuine care of its people. It ignores the grave wrongdoings they have conducted in the past and does not make the effort to improve and change the status quo. In my eyes, being able to talk about and expose the ugliest aspects of one’s nation while having discussions regarding how to progress as a society is true patriotism and greatness. 

Even before discussions regarding British imperialism entered the mainstream, Dickens was still able to highlight the flawed aspects of British society that drive a sense of nationalism. His literature has allowed me to reflect on the implications of British history and Western imperialism. I recognize the violence, oppression, and lies that the nation depended on to achieve its greatness. I recognize Britain’s obsession with utilizing pride and tradition to drive them forward while leaving morals and justice in the dust. However, I believe that we can celebrate the great progress that the West has made, including Britain. I appreciate the diversity, freedom of thought, democratic processes, and scientific feats that Britain has allowed to flourish, as well as the notion that we can fully criticize the history, culture, and actions of the nation; these aspects – not the blind patriotism that ignores the ugly history of the nation – are what makes Britain great.