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As Americans I think we often times have a fantastic ideal of what Britain is. We as the famous British author Charles Dickens create in our minds these great expectations about our life and the world around us. In the beloved novel Great Expectations, Pip is a poor boy raised by his sister who has no hope of ever getting outside of social class. He is destined to be a blacksmith and take over his brother-in-law's apprenticeship. Pip has these great expectations of breaking out of societal molds and obtaining a dream that seems too great to achieve. He has built up the glory of escaping the middle class and once he does by luck and an anonymous benefactor he quickly realizes that class does not allow for one to escape the truth of English society, which can be an ugly place.
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Americans have a view of England that usually involves a castle, the London Bridge, and soldiers with long black hats who can't move. This is the great expectation of American travelers. Britain, however, is not a far cry from the society portrayed in Great Expectations. Age old prejudices are still there and there is still contempt for those who are poor or who can't do for themselves. Americans walk into England with this profound sense of romanticism for the mystical country.
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When discussing Eastern versus Western in class we touched on the desire many Westerners have when traveling to "exotic" places. I believe that Americans still view Britain as exotic, but not in the sense of unrefined and uncultured as those of the past view other countries. Americans view Britain as sophisticated and as an epicenter of culture. They want the posh British experience. It's the trap of the traveler. The great expectation that lurks within every human being when it comes to experiencing a new individual experience.
What are your thoughts on the Americanized view of Britain? Let me know down below in the comments.
See you soon,
Sarah Johnson
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