As the title suggests, the article Jane Austen to appear on 10 pound note from the Guardian briefly summarizes a recent announcement from the Bank of England: that Jane Austen will appear on the 10 pound note, probably from 2017 on.
On the rhetoric, the article is rather short and informational. It is supplemented by quotes from representatives from the Bank of England itself and some female campaigners who supported this change. It also presents some background on why this change is being made now. On the whole, I found the article to be concise and easy to follow.
On my analysis, the information presented in the article delighted me, as I adore Austen's novels, especially Pride and Prejudice. Austen definitely deserves this honor. She was an amazing novelist, and I'm glad that the Bank of England is trying to extend their range of featured historical figures by incorporating a female writer. In contrast, the United States has only featured male political figures on its paper money. While I understand that people like George Washington (one dollar bill) and Andrew Jackson (twenty dollar bill) are important to our country's history, I'm a bit disappointed at our lack of diversity.
Take a look at this quote: "without this campaign... the Bank of England would have unthinkingly airbrushed women out of history." Personally, I think the statement is a bit melodramatic, but it emphasizes the importance of this issue. Whose faces go on money may seem like a small concern, but the figures we choose to feature represent our ideals and role models. It may be a small symbolic gesture but is a symbolic gesture nonetheless. I hope that the United States will follow England's example, and we will be seeing some diversity on our own paper money soon.
I am also a huge Jane Austen fan, as I have read many of her books, and this article is quite a surprise. I never realized governments could put faces other than political figures on bills. Your commentary is very informative and reflective, and I am glad to see most of it is made up of your own comments. The fact that you compare America's use of male figures to that of England's supports your justification of that faces on bills should be diverse. I also hope the U.S. gains inspiration from this major step in order to create a change within the economic sector of our government.
ReplyDeleteI have a question to ask about the suggestion you had on United States' bills. Are you suggesting that we replace one of the people from the bill or making a new bill that is worth a different amount? If it is replacing, then I have to disagree. Replacing generally will bring people to think that this new person is more important than the replaced person.
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