Relatives or Strangers? Ch. Dickens and G. K. Chesterton about America
Relatives or Strangers? Ch. Dickens and G. K. Chesterton about America

Summary/Abstract: The problem of national self-identity can be approached from various perspectives. Its reflection in literature and writer’s position on the topic gives us facts sometimes different from the sociological or political analysis. The process of self-identification of the Americans as a new nation opposed to the Old World of native Britain, the view of the British on the USA culture form an interesting topic for investigation. Some aspects of the problem have been widely disputed among scholars. (Abbot 1999, Barczewski 2000, Roth 1995) In this paper we concentrate on one example of gradual forming of British- American national mythology. We are going to speak about two British authors expressing their views on America: Charles Dickens and G. K. Chesterton. Our choice of material is not accidental: the two writers did a lot in developing and forming of British national stereotype; their “Englishness” is obvious and much talked about. Both of them had a great interest in America, visited the country and wrote about it, thus forming the American stereotype among their compatriots. We shall base our speculations mainly on their travel notes about their lecture tours to the USA: American Notes by Dickens and The Sidelights on New London and Newer York by Chesterton.

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