The primary social concern in To Say Nothing of the Dog focuses on our relation to the past. Many consider this a peculiarly American concern, a suspicion which seems to be shared by the narrator, Ned Henry. The novel, which takes place in England, shows early work on the time machine occurring at Oxford, suggesting that the English connection to the past is somehow more secure and accessible, even tangible, than elsewhere. It is also significant that Lady Schrapnell is American, not English. A certain amount of nationalism comes into play, as it is pointed out that Lady Schrapnell, who devises and coordinates the plan to rebuild Coventry Cathedral in Oxford, is American by birth, only having gained English nobility through marriage. Her desire to. rebuild the cathedral arises from reading her great-great-greatgreat-grandmother's diary, where her ancestor records a life-changing visit to Coventry Cathedral where she...