English Pride in The Remains of the Day

In The Remains of the Day, a book I have been reading, the main character and narrator, Stevens, brings up the familiar point of English superiority. His discussion of the matter, however, comes about a century after the Crystal Palace, and concerns matters of dignity.

He says: "Continentals-and by and large the Celts, as you will no doubt agree-are as a rule unable to control themselves in moments of strong emotion [...] they are like a man who will, at the slightest provocation, tear off his suit and his shirt and run about screaming. In a word, 'dignity' is beyond such persons. We English have an important advantage over foreigners in this respect and it is for this reason that when you think of a great butler, he is bound, almost by definition, to be an Englishman."

Apologies for the long passage, but I think the international comparison and metaphor along with the introspective praise is an amusing and indicative excerpt of English nationalism. The character is, of course, a proud English butler, which has become something of an archetype, but ultimately I think it is a continuation of the idea that was formulated in the 19th century, of England being superior in innovation, art, and therefore character and dignity,