Wake up, Britain. Should the empire really be a source of pride?

This study guide will help you analyze David Olusoga’s article “Wake up, Britain. Should the empire really be a source of pride?”. In addition to help for your analysis, you can find a summary of the text and ideas for putting it into perspective.

Presentation of the text

Title: “Wake up, Britain. Should the empire really be a source of pride?” (2016)

Sender: David Olusoga

Genre: Article

David Olusoga (b. 1970) is a British historian, writer, and broadcaster from Nigeria. He teaches Public History at the University of Manchester and writes opinion pieces for The Guardian. He has also produced and presented several TV history programs and has published several books, including Black and British: A Forgotten History. He has received several awards for his work and has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Excerpt

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Pathos

Olusoga uses pathos when he refers to the common way people feel and react when discussing the British Empire: “We then collectively recoil in hurt and outrage […] We’re similarly insulted when […]”. Through this, Olusoga does not single out specific individuals but rather frames the problem as a common one most people face. By acknowledging people’s feelings and including himself as part of the people who experience this, Olusoga likely makes readers more receptive to his message.

Olusoga also appeals to pathos through the use of language with strong negative connotations such as “incredible brutality”, “murdered, tortured and mutilated in British concentration camps”, and “war and devastation”. In this way, he highlights the idea that though the Empire achieved positive things, its negative aspects have a lasting impact and should not be overlooked.