- 1 -Tyrone Schiff Understanding a NationThe year 1859 was a revolution in culture. The year was marked with a wealth of new and fresh ideas being presented and broached for the public’s consumption. Themedium in which this information was catapulted into the lives of those who lived duringthis historic year was via literature. All sorts of literature were used in order to convey thethoughts of the time. Some were skillfully crafted pieces of fiction, others were politicalmanifestos, and there was even a scientific proclamation that changed society’s outlook then and even today. While all of these pieces of literature seem to speak to diverseaudiences and address significantly different schools of thought, there is a central themeto which they all seem to address. In particular, the idea that percolates within some veryimportant texts from the year 1859 is the idea of the nation. Benedict Anderson, a professor emeritus at Cornell University, provided a resounding definition of the nation inhis book,

Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism

,and it states, “[the nation] is an imagined political community – and imagined as bothinherently limited and sovereign” (7). Anderson’s definition of the nation will bedefinitively supported and proven by four specific texts that each speak to a particular claim presented by Anderson.Each of the four texts specifically discusses the more detailed explanation thatAnderson provides, which will be examined further on.

Self-Help

by Samuel Smilesaddresses the imagined portion of Anderson’s definition of the nation because of theextreme size and scope that is intrinsic to all nations.

A Tale of Two Cities

by CharlesDickens explores the limitations of a nation.

On Liberty

by John Stuart Mill addresses thesovereignty of the nation, and the individual’s purpose within the nation. Finally

, The

- 2 -Tyrone Schiff

Origin of Species

by Charles Darwin will be used to illustrate the sense of communitythat manifests itself in a nation. All of these works were critical to the revolution inculture that occurred in the year 1859, and work to support the definition set forth byAnderson.Anderson’s first point of emphasis within his definition is that of an imaginednation. This concept will be upheld by the literary work of Samuel Smiles,

Self-Help

.Anderson begins his analysis of an imagined nation in stating, “the members of even thesmallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the images of their communion […]” (7). The point that is being emphasized here is that nations are typically very large, but even whenthis is the case people within a given nation find a sense of solace in the fact that they areall a part of the same group. Smiles talks to Anderson’s elaboration on various points.When considering the book,

Self-Help

, one will notice the great expanse of individualsthat it covers. It discusses people from all walks of life who contribute to society in amultitude of ways. However, it is important to be cognizant of the great deal of peoplethat are left from the book. While Smiles may have tried to educate those about the people within their nation, there is no possible way for him to discuss everybody. Smilesgenerally only discussed famous people, and did not once discuss women.

Self-Help

istherefore a perfect illustration of Anderson’s point that within a nation one will typicallynot be able to meet or hear about a great deal of their fellow members.Even though members of a nation will not have the opportunity to meet oneanother, there is this great sense of communion. This sense of communion can beaccurately portrayed by the government of a nation. The way in which a nation decides to

- 3 -Tyrone Schiff be governed depicts a great deal about the individuals that make up the nation. Smilesspeaks to this point in saying, “The Government of a nation itself is usually found to be but the reflex of the individuals composing it. The Government that is ahead of the people will inevitably be dragged down to their level, as the Government that is behindthem will in the long run be dragged up” (19). Smiles advocates here that the way inwhich a nation governs itself is due to the individuals that make it up. Though allindividuals within a nation clearly cannot meet one another, they can still come to aconsensus as to what government works best to benefit the greatest number. This talks tothe sense of communion that exists within a nation. People will work with one another inorder to achieve the best result.Smiles provides an excellent illustration of this sense of communion and how it isformulated in the nation with the example of Josiah Wedgwood. Smiles explains, “JosiahWedgwood was one of those indefatigable men […] by their energetic character not only practically educate the working population in habits of industry, but by the example of diligence and perseverance which they set before them, largely influence the publicactivity in all directions, and contribute in a great degree to form the national character”(73). The point of discussing the life of Wedgwood was that it revealed an individualcould have a great deal of impact on the society at large and help to develop the nation asa whole. Smiles showed how it was the contributions of each individual that ultimatelyformulated the nation. This idea of an individual having the ability to construct their nation is what drove the communion that Anderson speaks of. This individuality andresponsibility that was bestowed on each person in a society gave them a collectiveidentity. Even though the constituents of a nation may not know everyone else within