Caroline Perrineau is a famous British writer who is known for bringing national and international attention to the issues of identity, nationality and class. She has written several books on these topics and was one of the first writers to use the language of “identity politics” as an analysis tool. As a result, she has become one of the most recognized and respected critics of modern society’s racism, sexism and poverty. Her most well-known book, The Nationality Test, caused a furor in the United Kingdom when it was published in 1983, with some newspapers banning its publication and a lengthy public dispute over its accuracy and meaning.
In The Nationality Test, Perrineau presents a method that examines the effects of nationality, race and gender on an individual’s self-image and sense of worth. The concept she develops in this book is, “Human beings are not identical; they are not identical because of race or nationality.” Instead, we find that human beings are unique in their own right, given their membership in a group that has a common history, culture, language and traditions. While we may think of nationality, race and gender as the markers of a group, Perrineau reminds us that “a group is a group, even if it is composed of individuals who, like everyone else belonging to the group, share the same physical traits: eye color, hair color, skin color, height and so on.” In The Nationality Test, she demonstrates how important this distinction is in our everyday lives and the choices we make as individuals and as a society.
In contrast to earlier works by this British author, The Nationality Test is more than a study of identity. It also examines many other aspects of an individual’s life, such as his/her occupation, relationships, marriage and family, as well as his/her career. It is clear from the title that this study is primarily written about race and nationality. In particular, Perrineau looks at the implications of growing up in a multicultural society, which places pressure on all members of a social grouping to blend into the larger cultural community. Ultimately, by the end of the book, readers are left with the distinct impressions that they have made on others concerning their race, their culture and their identity. These reflections lead the reader to explore what exactly it means to be British and, in doing so, to understand the country’s history, culture and identity better.