Patriotic Ethos in Sir Walter Scott’s Old Mortality

Abstract

Walter Scott’s Old Mortality reflects the feeling of nationalism among Scottish people. Walter Scott sees patriotic feelings through the revolution against the British regime. He is worried about the soldiers who had sacrificed their life for the welfare of their nation, culture and the society, because everybody has forgotten them. Nationalism is autonomous and unified identity of people, which Walter Scott has successfully presented in his novel. In the line of Druckman and Atsuko Ichijo’s theoretical perspectives, this thesis depicts that Walter Scott has shown the clear picture of Scotland during the religious war and the condition of the Scottish people for re - establishment of their own religious values in the Church which was dominated by the Catholicism. It analyses how nationalism appears and develops for the welfare of the Scottish people. He believes if the nation and national identity is lost, everything is lost. Thus, by creating the character’s faithfulness to their culture, religious beliefs and brotherhood, Walter Scott, in this novel, shows the patriotic feelings in the heart of Scottish people.