Hoernschemeyer - P
Professor Highley and Ms. Bonds
Global May Great Britain
11 May 2019
Perception
When I first think of Great Britain the first thing that comes to mind is the Royal Family. The Royal Family is such an iconic part of Great Britain because they really are the face of it. They travel the world and really represent Great Britain to the rest of the world. Another thing that first comes to mind when thinking of Great Britain are some of the iconic buildings/landmarks there are such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. Every country has buildings that really representative and are iconic to their country such as the Statue of Liberty and Golden Gate Bridge are iconic markings for the United States. The British accent is also another very distinct part of the British identity. The accent that comes along with Great Britain is something very identifiable when heard, and in the U.S. the British accent is almost something that is almost very mesmerizing. Americans especially are almost obsessed with British culture in a way which is another thing I think of when talking about Great Britain. The fascination with British culture starts at a very young age for Americans. Growing up almost every American child tries to attempt their best British accent, and young girls grow up watching Disney princess movies which starts the early fascination of real life princesses. As Americans get older you can’t go to a mall in America without seeing the British flag printed on some shirt or pullover which is the retail industry maximizing their interest in American’s big interest in British culture. With older Americans as well they are also more genuinely interested in the royal family and all they do and what goes in their day to day lives. I remember in 2011 and waking up so early to watch William and Kate’s wedding and I wasn’t even that interested in they royal family at the time but they are such a polarizing family that I was willing to get up and watch it. As I’ve gotten in older and learned more about the royal family the more genuine interest I’ve had in the family. That is why in 2018, for Harry and Megan’s wedding I was even more excited to watch the royal wedding since I had a better understanding of their family history, and how monumental this wedding was, not just for Great Britain, but for the entire world. With Megan, an American, marrying into the royal family it has made Americans even more interested in the royal family because an American is connected to the throne, so it doesn't feel so disconnected from the US now. I’m excited for this trip to learn more about Great Britain and all that it is because I all that I really know/think of Great Britain is the most basic and not very substantial stuff. I know there is so much more to Great Britain and its culture/people and I’m excited to get to learn more about it.