Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (09/03/90)
Really-From: dps@otter.hpl.hp.com (Duncan Smith) I am slightly surprised to find that in the context of the various 'isms' (Nationalism/patriotism/jingoism) no-one has mentioned _Lionheart_ which, although neither implying nor endorsing any of the 'isms' in any way, yet manages to evoke a somewhat misty-eyed romantic view of England. Nevertheless, at some point these views merge; the spectrum of opinion is of course continuous between the two. While Kate treads the line between pure love of her country for what it means to her and a more overt patriotism very successfully, yet there is a definite tang of the military about the 'black Spitfire.' The Spitfire is, as any Englishman will tell you, a national icon, and a particularly resonant one for someone from the Southeast of England over which most of the Battle of Britain was fought. Duncan