Modern Britain: No Nation Of Mr Darcys
Before they arrive in Britain, Chinese students picture Britain as the country reflected in classics such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, where men wear top hats and ladies take tea. Instead, they land in a place of chavs and drunken students.
“England is a land where ladies take tea and men wear top hats, Chinese students believe before coming to Britain.
The reality, they discover, is a far cry from the world of Jane Austen. While older people are friendly and polite and laws are respected, Chinese students claim that they have often been attacked in the streets and are seen as “cash cows” by larger universities seeking to make money…
One of the most astonishing findings was that most Chinese students relied on the classics and word of mouth to inform themselves about Britain…” (The Times)
Reality is a bit different to classic literature, especially in modern Britain. No longer does Mr Darcy exist - he has been replaced by the fat man in a football shirt.
What is most surprising about this story is that they has not done research into what Britain is now, otherwise they would hardly have expected a land of top hats and cucumber sandwiches, but rather football shirts and lager. It is closer to a nation of Vicky Pollards than Mr Darcys.
Of course I’m over-egging this a bit - modern Britain isn’t really all that bad - but we do need to acknowledge the bad bits. Chavs and fat, middle-aged men in football shirts should be first against the wall come the revolution…
Source: The Times
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Watch out that its not small ‘c’ bloggers as well.