The Invention of Cultural Traditions: The Construction and Deconstruction of Englishness and Authenticity in Julian Barnes' England England

Abstract

Many recent British novels display an intense interest in ‘Englishness’, in the myths, traditions, and attitudes that are regarded as typically English, a topic which is also a major concern of contemporary literary criticism and cultural history. The present article examines the construction and parodic deconstruction of Englishness in Julian Barnes' novel England, England (1998), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1998. It is argued that the novel juxtaposes competing versions of and discourses about Englishness, and provides self-conscious reflections upon both the invention of cultural traditions and the questionable notion of historical authenticity.

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