An English Governess in the Great War: The Secret Brussels Diary of Mary Thorp is a diary written by Mary Thorp during her time in German-occupied Brussels during the First World War. The diary provides a window into the state of affairs within German-occupied Belgium, as well as a window into how the people held under the occupation experienced the war. One of the defining characteristics of this piece is the distinct sense of Britishness with which the author, Mary Thorp, views the world and conducts herself. Mary Thorp’s view on what it meant to be British seems to revolve around conducting oneself up to a high standard of morals and ethics. This is best exemplified in the quote, “I replied: until quite recently it was taken as a compliment to be called compared to an English gentleman, all over the …show more content…
Throughout the diary the value that Mary places on these characteristics can be seen in her assessment of events and people. First, Mary Thorp clearly believed that a strong sense of patriotism was an important component to what it meant to be British. Thorp demonstrates this sense of patriotism throughout the diary and it colors her opinion on many of the events and people who appear in the piece. One persistent component of this patriotic outlook can be seen in how Thorp views the air war which is being fought throughout the diary. Of particular importance is the difference in opinion that she demonstrates between the German raids and the English raids. The German raids are universally decried as evil and British efforts to stop these German raids are described as heroic and praiseworthy. This can be seen particularly clearly in the entry on the 23rd of September where Mary writes, “This evening two Zeppelins passed over the town—I fear on