The ‘internal’ other in John Fowles's works

The problem of the national is among the main ones in works by English writer John Fowles. This can be seen both in his fiction works and essays. This article discusses the role of the image of the ‘internal’ Other in the process of building his concept of ‘Englishness’. In his essay On Being English but Not British, the writer analyzes the relations between Englishmen and the inhabitants of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and puts the latter on a par with Australians and Americans, however, pointing out their interdependence with the English. The Welshmen Henry Breasley and David Jones act as the ‘internal’ Other in The Ebony Tower and A Maggot. They are endowed with typical Welsh characteristics such as a penchant for drinking, greed, and cunning. Both characters are presented through the perception of English characters, which allows the author to play with the stereotypes about the Welsh circulating among the English. There is an Irishman Dr. Grogan in the novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman. The protagonist Charles Smithson also attributes to him traits of the Irish national character such as talkativeness, foolishness, frivolity. At the same time, Grogan acts as a kind of arbiter, trying to explain the behavior of the characters from a scientific point of view. In Daniel Martin, actress Jenny appeals to her Scottish roots, but she does not take it seriously. That is why the main character also endows her with stereotypical features. However, she subsequently abandons them for the sake of ‘Americanness’, thus losing her identity. ‘Internal’ Others do not play a significant role in the writer’s conception of national identity. The writer focuses on the English characters, making the internal ‘others’ a kind of backdrop for them.