Natanael Fortunato INTL 3111 Mr.

Robert Arnold 26 May 26, 2011

Effects of Nationalistic Attitudes on Immigrants

The purpose of this paper is to examine George Orwells meaning of nationalism and to explain why some people confused nationalism with patriotism and how that confusion can affect immigrants. I am going to analyze how nationalism affects immigrants in an imaginary country Kagan referring to Nigeria in Chinua Achebes Anthills of the Savannah In his article Notes on Nationalism Orwell addresses the different forms nationalism can take. At the beginning of his essay he uses the word longuer, taken from the French language and meaning length to explain a behavior that affects our thinking on nearly every subject. He writes that: His state of mind: the object of his feelings is changeable, and may be imaginary (Orwell 4) and, hence, this state of mind is unstable. It can manifest itself in national leaders who do not belong to the country they glorified, being either foreigners, or from peripheral areas where nationality is doubtful

Nationalists believe that their ideas are superior to everyone elses and some have been known to change history to favor their own ideas. Every nationalist is haunted by the belief that the past can be altered. He spends part of his time in a fantasy world in which things happens as they should----- in which, for example, the Spanish Armada was a success or the Russian

Revolution was crushed in 1918----- and he will transfer fragments of this world to the history books whenever possible. Much of the propagandist writing of our time amounts to plain forgery, Material facts are suppressed, dates altered, quotations removed from their context and doctored so as to change their meaning (George Orwell 5). In studying the context in which Orwell uses the word Nationalism it is clear that he is referring to ideologies such as Communism, Political Catholicism, Zionism, Anti-Semitism, Trotskiyism, Pacifism, Jewry, Islam, Christendom, the proletariat and the White Race. All these are objects of Passionate nationalistic feelings. Their existence can be seriously questioned. Although Orwell uses the word nationalism, he admits that it is inadequate to fully describe what he wants to convey when he writes: I must repeat what I said above, that I am using the word nationalism for lack of a better (1). Nationalism and Power: Nationalism: an ideology or system of beliefs and values that influences ones activities and behavior (Intro to International Studies Class) is the image that Chinua Achebe portraits in Anthills of the Savannah in which all struggled to impose their ideology to run the country. Sam, Ikem and Chris attended Lord Lugard College together and after graduation they followed different directions in their careers. Sam went to Sandhurst in England for his military training where it could be said that he was brain-washed into adopting a particular ideology. He completed his career at Sandhurst, after which he staged a coup d tat in his country built his cabinet and made two of his classmates from Lord Lugard College cabinet members. Achebe describes their personality in a spectacular way. Sam represents power, authoritarianism. He is insecure and feeds himself on the adulation and worship of his cabinet members, placing his ideas over the welfare of the nation. He learned a different form of

nationalism (ideology) from military officers at Sandhurst and from other African dictators at the OAU meetings, particularly Ngongo who he admired the most. Sam began to implement ideologies learned from Ngongo into his government. Dictators have the capability, it seems, of selling their ideologies (false nationalism) to the people who they will oppress and commit atrocities against them in the name of the nation. Ikem had a different nationalism (ideology) that of Marxism. Given that this espouses forcing ones ideas onto others, he confronts Sam to this end, much to his regret. Seeing Sam as the same schoolboy at Lord Lugard College, Ikem felt that he could get away with it but hews much mistaken. Chris a moderate (Democrat), rather than confronting Sam directly, finds a strategy to attack him without the need of confrontation and becomes the balance between Sam and Ikem. I have always been in the middle. Neither was bright as Ikem and not such a social success as Sam. I have always been the lucky one, in a way. There was a song we sang as children, do you know it? The one in front spots evil spirits, the one at the rear has twisted hands, and the one in the middle is the child of luck. Did you sing it? I was the child of luck (60) Three different ways of nationalism are operating here with the unfortunate result that they were unable to sit down together to find common ground, each insisting on his own ideas as the best way to govern the country. They never meet to explore the good in each others ideology so that they could come together for the welfare of the country, which is a characteristic of the nationalism that Orwell is talking about.

Negative Results of Nationalism on Immigrants: Chinua Achebe in Anthills of the Savannah depicts nationalistic behaviors that affect immigrants. John Kent (Mad Medico) is an immigrant who is the Director of the hospital. He experiences racism from people in the community and at work because of his appearance and his origin. This is racism is nationalism with the face of patriotism, i.e. False patriotism this is the same state of mind that Orwell describes in his article on nationalism. When Mad Medico makes a joke and after and it was not taken as a joke but some of the people get offended Come! Come! John is only joking. You see what I mean, says Mad Medico before I can claim to be joking too. No sense of humor left. None whatsoever. They are all so stiff and damned patriotic so quick to take offense. You cant make a joke here if you are white you should have heard the names they called me because I was so nave as to try to cheer up some dreary wards in their blasted hospital. Imperialist! White, racist! Red Neck! The best though was Negrophobist. Do you know that one? I didnt. Negrophobist. Apparently the opposite of nigger-lover (52-53) Ikems lecture The Tortoise and the Leopard------a political meditation on the imperative of struggle made a tremendous impression on the Students but it infuriated Sam who saw it as a call to revolution. This lecture had a Marxist orientation and called for a resistance. Ikem was happy before the lecture because he knew it will have a huge impact on the students. This lecture affected Mad Medico dramatically. It is ironic that when there are problems in the country or community they blame and track the wrong people. Mad Medico was being tracked by Sams intelligence and was one day detained, kept incommunicado for interrogations and deported. Major Johnson Ossai in charge of Sams intelligence, moved from different fronts. For over a year now the perspicacious Major had had the foresight to keep Mr. Kent under very close but discreet surveillance (150)

In the US politicians like to take advantage on anti-immigrant sentiments to capitalize politically and grow a false nationalistic sentiment (longuer = Length, a state of mind) within North American People. Most of the people distrust immigrants by their appearances not knowing that there are many immigrants who have made great contribution to the Nation We
need to do more to ensure that we do not become a nation that treats those who look foreign as suspect, to be investigated, even arrested, merely on the basis of their appearance (Mahony 19).

I believe John Kent, (Mad Medico) was doing his job and was contributing to the welfare of Bassa, he was providing services for the people and the government, but the longuer, length that Orwell refers to in Notes on Nationalism the state of mind that affected Sams decisions in running his government. Mad Medico was serving a community that was anti-foreigners they just thought about themselves instead of being open to everyone.

Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Anthills of the Savannah Anchor Books A division of Random House, Inc. (September 1988) New York. Mahony, Roger. America Press Inc. 2010 June 7-14 2010

www.americanmagazine.org Orwell, George. Notes on Nationalism GB, London. (May 1945)