England, England

England, England is a 1998 postmodern novel by English author Julian Barnes. A dystopian satire on modern England, particularly its nationalist and xenophobic tendencies, the story involves an attempt to create a mini version of England in the form of a theme park on the Isle of Wright. Barnes is deeply critical about many English traditions, which he views as arbitrary and unconstructive. He also calls into question the veracity of popular accounts of English history, showing that they are more invented than real. The novel is postmodern for reasons including its skepticism about the existence of absolute “truth” and national unification. The novel was shortlisted for the 1998 Booker Prize, one of the highest awards in literature.

England, England is split into three sections: “England,” “England, England,” and “Anglia” (Latin for “England”). The first section concerns the novel’s protagonist, Martha Cochrane. At first, Martha recalls her childhood. While young and growing up in rural England, her feelings of security and purpose are ripped to shreds when her father abruptly abandons her family. She realizes her tenuous relationship with her father while he was around matched the occasion of his abandonment. Often, the two would work on a jigsaw puzzle together; when completed, the puzzle was a map of the Counties of England. Martha’s father never finished the puzzle, just as he never fulfilled his role as a father; nor does Martha feel she has a grasp of the whole of her country or herself.

The second section takes place in the not-so-distant future. Martha is hired by an egotistical businessman, Sir Jack Pitman, to work on an absurd business venture. Sir Jack desires to transform the Isle of Wight into a huge theme park that simulates England for millions of tourists. Sir Jack dictates the criteria for the park’s acceptance of new attractions based on what he personally enjoys, rather than anyone’s expertise. He names the park “England, England.” Thanks to its huge budget, the park is turned into a highly realistic, though gaudy and crowded, mosaic of England’s most famous buildings, sites, and people. The park is touted as offering a realistic survey of England without requiring travel to England itself – a task written off as crazy.

While preparing the project, Martha starts having sex with coworker Paul Harrison. They discover potentially embarrassing information on Sir Jack’s sexuality and use it to blackmail him the second Sir Jack tries to fire Martha. In exchange for their silence, they demand that he make her CEO of the entire project on the Isle of Wight. After its launch, the park becomes hugely popular. It is, in fact, so successful that it becomes an autonomous state and joins the European Union. In the meantime, the real England, now called “Old England,” withers and dies. Martha’s tenure as CEO is relatively short-lived; eventually, due to a scandal outside her control, she is ousted.

The novel’s third section takes place decades after the creation of the theme park “England.” After traveling the world for years, Martha moves back to Old England. She finds that the entire country has regressed: it has few residents, relies on an agricultural economy, and does little mass production. “England, England,” however, continues to thrive. The book ends with the villagers’ attempt to put on a community festival, utilizing Martha’s memory of England’s earlier years. Martha ultimately dies in the village, reflective and ambivalent about where life has come to.