A Study On The Role Of Language In The Construction Of Medieval English National Identity

Britain is the first country in the world to achieve the modern transition in political,economic and cultural institutions.The emergence of a centralized nation-state played a vital role in this transition,which becomes an issue of academic concern for many historians.With the rise of Irish and Scottish nationalism in recent years,the question of English national identity,deeply involved in practical politics,had intrigued much debate in the academic circle.When was English national identity formed?Which factors contributed to its formation?The answers to these questions could only be found in the investigation of certain historical period.The previous studies on English nationalism had focused on the factors contributed to the formation of English nation-state,such as the development of political institutions,war,and religion.In comparison,the role of language in the construction of English national identity has seldom been studied,which prompted the present study.Benedict Anderson,in his Imagined Community,had proposed the well-known concept of nation as an "imagined political community".Peter Burke further developed the idea by arguing that language not only expresses the cohesiveness of a community,but also serves as a means to construct or reconstruct the community.The thesis starts its discussion from arguments of Anderson and Burke,and develops their ideas through the investigation of the construction of English national identity.First,English language is an essential component of English national identity.The construction of English national identity was closely connected to the development of English language.In 9th century,Alfred the Great had vigorously advocated the learning and use of English language.He encouraged the production of literature,chronicles and law codes in English.In his rule,English became an instrument to integrate the nascent state of England.Bede,the father of English history,had brought out the concept of "English people" for the first time.This is the bourgeoning period of English national identity.After the Norman Conquest,English lost its official status and was reduced to the language of the lower classes.Yet English language did not perish,it lurked among the folk people and gradually formed the undercurrent of potential Englishness.In late medieval period,English regained its official status and became an identifier of English national identity,due to the changed circumstances in English society.Hence,the English national identity is composed of actual elements like language.Language does not construct national identity automatically and unconditionally.The process in which language constructs national identity is not,as Anderson argues,accomplished by printing capitalism alone.Rather,it is a joint project in which all the social classes participated.The analysis of this thesis shows that social changes create favorable conditions for the construction of national identity.After the conquest,England rulers dominated the territory across the English Channel,foreshadowing a prolonged conflict between England and France.The series of conflicts that finally evolved into the Hundred Years War also formed the process that engenders the birth of English and Frech nation.The ruling class and cultural elites played a leading role in the process.The rulers implemented certain language policies that aimed to bring the unity of national language.The cultural elites helped to promote the national identity by composing and spreading the works written in English.The development of elementary education in late medieval England greatly improved the popular literacy,which coincided with the prompt spread of printed books after 1476.The broad masse of the people could therefore "imagine the English nation" by reading(or being read)English literary and religious works.Consequently,the combination of social-cultural factors in this period made imagining nation possible.Overall,the study focuses on the role of language in the construction of English national identity,and expects to present some new insights into the questions of English national identity and medieval nations.