People will tell one that it is because we speak
the same language with a different accent and do not always laugh at the same jokes. Others have suggested that the Englishman's habit (when shy or frightened) of retreating behind his own face gives an impression to the extrovert American of glum superiority. Yet surely the main cause of misunderstanding is our blatant unawareness of American history and culture. Our ignorance of the amazing epic of America places us in a false position from the start. For whereas the Americans know a great deal about our history, traditions and literature, we know but little about theirs. The stories which were dear to us as children are also dear to them ; yet they have other, and even dearer, legends which we do not share. The Americans know about King Alfred and Magna Carta and Mr. Pecksniff and Gerard Manley Hopkins ; how many Englishmen know about Betsy Ross and Emily Dickinson? We are apt to dismiss the American Revolution as an unfortunate episode arising from some diplomatic blunder on the part of Lord North ; we know little of Lexington and Concord and Valley Forge ; the average Englishman could not tell you who succeeded George Washing- ton as second President, nor is he aware that there was a second Anglo-American war in 1812. Such. ignorance is unintelligent and rude, and we should not be surprised that the Americans are insulted by our indifference to their tremendous past.
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