'Passing unnoticed in a French crowd': the passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France

Juliette Pattinson

doi:10.1080/14608944.2010.500469

'Passing unnoticed in a French crowd': the passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France

Juliette Pattinson

History

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article examines the dissimulation, construction and assumption of national identities using as a case study male and female British agents who were infiltrated into Nazi-Occupied France during the Second World War. The British nationals recruited by the SOE's F section had, as a result of their upbringing, developed a French ‘habitus’ (linguistic skills, mannerisms and knowledge of customs) that enabled them to conceal their British paramilitary identities and ‘pass’ as French civilians. The article examines the diverse ways in which individuals attempted to construct French identities linguistically (through accent and use of vocabulary, slang and swear words), visually (through their physical appearance and clothing) and performatively (by behaving in particular ways).

Language	English
Pages	291-308
Number of pages	18
Journal	National Identities
Volume	12
Issue number	3
Early online date	6 Sep 2010
DOIs	10.1080/14608944.2010.500469
Publication status	Published - 2010

Fingerprint

national identity

France

clothing

performance

vocabulary

linguistics

Slang

Habitus

Vocabulary

Paramilitaries

French Identity

Crowds

Dissimulation

National Identity

Linguistic Skills

Mannerism

Clothing

Physical Appearance

Accent

customs

Keywords

France
British
French identities
passing
habitus
British identities

Cite this

Pattinson, J. (2010). 'Passing unnoticed in a French crowd': the passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France. National Identities, 12(3), 291-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2010.500469

Pattinson, Juliette. / 'Passing unnoticed in a French crowd' : the passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France. In: National Identities. 2010 ; Vol. 12, No. 3. pp. 291-308.

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Pattinson, J 2010, ''Passing unnoticed in a French crowd': the passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France' National Identities, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 291-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2010.500469

'Passing unnoticed in a French crowd' : the passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France. / Pattinson, Juliette.

In: National Identities, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2010, p. 291-308.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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