It is difficult to think of a nation as an abstract collection of people
living on a patch of territory.
It is easier to think of as a person.
This is why we sometimes call Great Britain __1__
"Britannia" and the United States "Columbia", and think of it as stately
women. We also use masculine symbols in our __2__
personification of nations. In 1712 John Arbuthont, a Scot,wrote a political
satire in that the characters were supposed __3__
to be typical members of different nationalities. The Englishman was John Bull.
This name, which was sufficient flattering to be __4__
adopted generally, combined the most common English first name with a last name
indicated strength. John Bull is usually __5__
pictured as a partly businessman with a Union Jack on his hatband.
After the American War of Independence began in 1783, the United __6__
States was knownfor "Brother Jonathan". Jonathan was a biblical __7__
name associated with simple people from rural areas, and it seemed fitting since
the United States is rural and unsophiscated, and since __8__
American considered their type of simplicity a virtue compared to __9__
the wickedness of European cities. It is possible, however, that the name was
originated with President George Washington, who would __10__
often say, when faced with a hard problem, "Let us consult Brother Jonathan",
referring to his secrectary, Johnathan Trumbull.
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