One of the most powerful and pervasive political narratives which organises personal and public stories is that of the relationship between the individual and the nation. And it is well documented that individuals tend to express strong affiliative ties with their country when they feel that their country is under attack. Ernest Renan, in his famous essay ‘What is a Nation’, written at the end of the nineteenth century, surmises: ‘Suffering in common unifies more than joy does. Where national memories are concerned, griefs are of more value than triumphs, for they impose duties, and require a common effort’ (1882/1990: 19). This comment offers much insight into the phenomenon of the explosion of patriotism in the USA in the post-9/11 era. Americans of all stripes have been compelled to rethink their relationship to their country, and how they can best support those aspects of the nation which they feel are under fire and are worth trying to preserve. This chapter explores narratives of patriotism in the USA, before and after the events of September 11th, 2001.

‘MY’ COUNTRY: THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PERSONAL PRONOUN

In 2001, I had been living outside of the USA for the previous five years. I feel that being born and raised in the USA, and indeed spending much of my childhood in Washington, DC, had instilled in me a strong sense of national identity.