Neustria was the Merovingian term for Normandy, or an ancient Frankish kingdom's word for the region of Northern France across from the English Channel. From ancient times, this region has specifically denoted the northern part of France, around Cherbourg, for example, as compared to Burgundy, which was part of Austrasia. Viking invasions ensued and resulted in the settlement of many Scandinavians in both England as well as the mainland European coast, inclduing France, Germany, and even as far as Russia.

The original description of St. Peter's Fields would be the collection of fields surrounding the outskirts of Manchester. The addition of "St. Peter" to the title of this area would be added with the building of St. Peter's church in 1788. This area throughout history has remained the setting of many influential and memorable events. The first being on August 16, 1819 when Henry Hunt addressed 60,000 people in the audience demanding for radical reform in the House of Commons.

Italy is a peninsula country in Southern European surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. At the time of Beachy Head's writing, Italy consisted of the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Naples, the Kingdom of Sicily, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The early 1800's saw Napolean's continued efforts to annex Italy. Notably, the pope had excommunicated Napolean, but once the French seized Rome, Napoleon had the pope exiled. 

Quote from Beachy Head:

Historical Context 

India is the second-most populous country in the world, and the most populous democracy in the world. In the 1920’s, India was under British control, and did not gain independence until 1947 -- it had been under British imperial rule since 1858. Today, significant evidence of British influence remains. 

From the Text 

Relevant Context 

Mentioned in the Kazuo Ishiguro novel, "The Remains of the Day", Switzerland was important in WWII, which is an essential part of this novel. Switzerland held espionage for both sides of the war, but maintained armed neutrality. It was not invaded, partially due to the topography of mountains. Switzerland maintained trading relationships while also taking many refugees. Today, Switzerland is popular with tourists for its' skiing, lakes, and foods such as cheese and chocolate. They are also leading the world with universal healthcare and industries.

Locted at the south of Africa, South Africa hosts a wide variety of ethnocultural communities: Black South Africans (80%), White South Africans, and Indian, Chinese, and multiracial South Africans . A total of 11 different languages are recognized here. It has a history of foreign colonization including the the Portuguese, Dutch, British, eventually gaining independence with the South Africa Act 1909.

Click here for a map of the west country

In Remains of the Day:

Hertfordshire is part of the historic county in southern England. The county consists of ten districts: East Hertfordshire, North Hertfordshire, Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield, Broxbourne, Dacorum, Hertsmere, Stevenge, Watford, and the city of St. Albans. As indicated by the time frame in the novel, Hertfordshire was connected with the aircraft industry and held a number of artillery bases during the 1920s-1930s. Pre-WWII the population of Hertfordshire was about 10,000.

At the beginning of the 1930s, France was hit by the Great Depression. France did not recover from the economic problems that were caused by the Depression which led to some political unrest within the country. This was evidenced by the extreme political parties that grew in power during this time. On the left was the Popular Front, an alliance between several radical left-wing groups. On the right were groups like the French Popular Party, a fascist and anti-Semitic political party. France was divided politically as it inched closer and closer to war with Germany.

Quotes: