In Search of National Character

The paper deals with the concept of national character which has become especially popular nowadays, at the time of globalization, because of a prospect (or threat) felt by all nations of the possible coming loss of national identities under the pressure of global processes. The author examines various probable sources of information on the concept of national character marking their positive and negative features. The sources under investigation are: international jokes, classical literature, folklore and – surprise, surprise! – national language and culture.