Bannister in parliament: sport, synecdoche, and national identity

Abstract

ABSTRACT In 1954, Parliament was divided over Roger Bannister’s appearance on an American television programme and how it would portray the nation to the world. This moment, and others like it across the decades, show Bannister to be a significant figure in the collective British identity, and as such, one in need of careful examination. The following work examines statements from both Houses positioning Bannister as synecdoche, a rhetorical device in which a single instance or representative is used as archetype of the larger whole. Findings from this examination revealed two themes: first, Bannister’s newfound glory reflected the best of Britain, and second because of the first, his status, and by proxy Britain’s status, should be carefully managed. These findings demonstrate the ways in which Parliament used Bannister to idealise, shape, and manage British identity. To conclude, we consider how athletes like Bannister may serve such purposes.