Final Learning Statement

Before taking the American Writes of the 1920s course, I hadn't known that writers such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound were so deeply connected. It was surprising that these writers all were expatriates in Paris sharing their experiences and learning from each other. I found Ernest Hemingway to be the most compelling author because he effectively used the block writing technique, which Stein had taught him, in his prose. Gertrude Stein formed the technique, but Hemingway modified it to his advantage in The Sun Also Rises. I thought Gertrude Stein was the least compelling author, because I found her work difficult to read as a result of the constant repetition and the de-emphasis of details. It was interesting that she worked an art style into her writing, however I feel that she over used the repetition aspect. Hemingway also utilized repetition, however, I feel that his use was moderate in comparison to Stein and it worked well with characters like Jake who tries to distract himself from his war wound. I also thought that Hemingway’s use of the idea of “grace under pressure” was very intriguing, because he was able to convey the idea through Pedro Romero’s bullfighting so well. This class certainly challenged my reading comprehension and I had the most difficulty understanding Gertrude Stein’s Three Lives. The short story cycle guides the reader to extract themes with contiguity and metonymy, rather than simply telling the reader what to think. The repetition in the stories was meant accumulate the meaning into a pattern, but I didn't understand it easily. Once I had become more accustomed with block writing, it became easier to recognize the pattern and gather meaning in later texts of the 1920s.

Course Paper Report

My course paper “Value and Work Ethic as Code for Masculinity in The Sun Also Rises” explored how certain male characters try to reconstruct their traditional male roles and how their efforts affect their values and their unique work ethics following World War I. After World War I, people were left with a great sense of loss. During this difficult period, the stronger a man’s values were, the more masculine he could be considered. Studying their masculinity provides an understanding of each man that isn’t overtly stated in the text.

For my paper I performed a character analysis of Jake, Robert, Mike, and Pedro. Jake’s masculinity is formed through his constant accounting and structured work ethic. For Jake’s analysis, I used examples of his ability to avoid tourist spending traps, balancing his checkbook every night, and removing Robert so he can get back to work. Robert relies on brute force to reestablish his masculine identity, because he doesn’t feel successful independently. I used examples of Robert beating people to assert his masculinity and his inability to succeed with his literary review magazine. Mike is the least masculine character in the novel, because he is careless, in debt, and most often drunk. I supported this with examples of his insecurity over Brett, his reaction to his debt, and his drinking rather than dealing with his problems. Pedro is the only male character who was able to maintain his masculinity and values. I supported this with examples of his bull-fighting technique and how he acts while fighting Robert.

Blog Assignment 2

Article Summary and Paper Prospectus

Article Summary              

Young Ernest Hemingway in Paris

                In Jacob Leland’s article, "Yes, That Is A Roll Of Bills In My Pocket: The Economy Of Masculinity In "The Sun Also Rises", he asserts that Jake Barnes spends money to retain his masculinity and American identity. Leland discusses the fact that Jake is an expatriate in Paris and unlike some of the people he observes on his morning commute, he isn’t there as a tourist. He has spent enough time in Paris to have a clear distinction between the tourists and the denizens on their way to work. Because he recognizes the distinction, he has been able to establish himself as worker fully involved in the Parisian economy. He knows to avoid tourist traps and continue to work without delay. Leland moves onto demonstrate Jake’s financial focus by noting that he balances his checkbook every night and walks to work ignoring advertisements that entice frivolous spending. Leland emphasizes that Barnes doesn’t spend money to collect or possess objects; rather he pays for activities and services. The author proposes that Jake’s spending habits come from an understanding of social relations in France, and it is most likely an exaggerated understanding. Leland claims that this is due to Jake’s desire to re-create his masculine identity, despite his sexual impotency. The article also delves into Jake’s relationships with the other characters and their associations with money. In each of his interactions with the others—especially Brett—Jake believes that losing something, like money, will gain him control. The author claims that Jake’s feelings for Brett, which lead him to rush to her aid, jeopardize the sexual power he strives for through finance. The bill that he openly tries to pay in front of her has already been paid anonymously, which robs Jake of the honor.

Prospectus

This paper will focus on several characters’ work ethics and their use of money in The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. These factors are synonymous with the characters' levels of restlessness, because many of them don't realize they need some kind of structure to gain stability in a post-war reality. Jake Barnes attempts to stabilize himself after the war by maintaining a good work ethic and meticulously keeping track of his money, because it allows him to be productive in a way that he can no longer be sexually. Lady Brett Ashley is frivolous when spending her money and prefers partying to work. Pedro Romero displays "grace under pressure" as he elegantly performs in the bullfights. Robert Cohn doesn't seem to do much for himself and Mike Campbell travels with Brett and drinks. Some of the articles I will consider using in this paper are: "Yes, That Is A Roll Of Bills In My Pocket: The Economy Of Masculinity In "The Sun Also Rises", "'Sign The Wire With Love': The Morality Of Surplus In The Sun Also Rises", and "Hemingway's Morality Of Compensation."

Blog Assignment 1

Origins of the Séance

Séances can be traced back as early as the 18th century. Normally a séance is known as several people sitting around a table trying to contact dead spirits. However, Séance was originally a French word, meant "meeting". It's early meaning which referred to a simple sit-down meeting, over time became associated with contacting the dead. A séance would typically take place in a dark room with several people seated around a circular table. A medium, most often a woman, would lead the session and contact dead spirits. Modern spiritualism and séances as a method to speak with the dead are believed to have taken shape around 1850.

Notable People

In 1850, Margaret, Kate, and Leah Fox became famous for their use of a knocking system to communicate with spirits. Because of this, they are often attributed with the beginning of modern séances and spirituality. Their fame grew and attracted a large amount of people to spirituality. About forty years later, the Fox sisters admitted that they had fabricated their séances. Despite their careers being completely destroyed, people still believed that talented mediums could contact spirits.

Years after the Fox sisters' downfall, Mina "Margery" Crandon became known for her spiritual talents. Margery gained popularity during a time when mediums were quickly being exposed as frauds. A panel of experts, including Harry Houdini, offered $2,500 to the first medium who could prove their abilities. Naturally, they came to Margery, but Houdini was not easily convinced. Their investigations of her work failed to prove anything about her abilities.

Bess Houdini, Harry's wife, was present for séances every year for ten years on the anniversary of her husband's death (October 31, 1926). Shortly before Houdini died, he promised Bess Houdini that he would come back if he could, even though he spent the later part of his life exposing mediums and séances as fraudulent. A séance has been held for Houdini every year on Halloween night since 1927, but he hasn't definitively made his presence known to anyone present during the events.

Andrew Jackson Davis had a very different approach to spiritualism than that of the Fox Sisters and Margery Crandon. Around the time the Fox sisters grew to fame, Davis gave lectures, which he was convinced came straight from spirits, and he wrote extensively on spiritualism. Davis was strongly against séances as a method of contacting spirits. Instead, he believed that spiritualism could be practiced through helping people. Because of this belief, he obtained his medical degree in 1883.







The late 1800s were filled with mediums being exposed as frauds. Despite the many frauds, in the 1920s people found an increased interest in spirituality. World War I resulted in the loss of millions of lives and their mourning families turned to mediums in hopes of contacting them. This sense of loss and confusion after World War I is possibly echoed in the first section of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, "The Burial of the Dead". The speaker says, "I had not thought death had undone so many..." (7), which could refer to the number of lives lost in World War I. The speaker then finds himself surrounded by the dead. Upon seeing a familiar face, he calls out to his old comrade, Stetson. Though Stetson doesn't answer any of the speaker's questions, the speaker continues to pursue the conversation. His desire to speak with his fallen friend reflects the hopes of those who participated in séances during the time period. Séances provided people with a connection to their lost loved ones, whether or not their questions were answered.

BBC Documentary: Science and the Séance

Bibliography:

Amos, Julie-Ann. "The Seance - History and Origins." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://julieannamos.hubpages.com/hub/The-Seance---History-and-Origins>.

Amos discusses a brief history of séances as well as the origin of the word. She explains the involvement of the Fox sisters during the formation of spiritualism, as well as Mina "Margery" Crandon's fight with Houdini to prove herself as a legitimate medium.

Eliot, T. S., and Michael North. The waste land: authoritative text, contexts, criticism. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. Print.

Karp, Catherine. "Bizarre History of Seances." Bizarre History of Seances. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.francescamiller.com/seances.html>.

Karp gives a brief history about séances, but mainly focuses on women's involvement in the movement. She also discusses several female mediums and Harry Houdini's quest to prove mediums' séances as shams.

Kerr, Howard, Charles L. Crow, and Ernest Isaacs. "The Fox Sisters and American Spiritualism." The Occult in America: new historical perspectives. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983. 79-110. Print.

This chapter details two very different approaches to spiritualism: séances versus lectures and writings. The Fox sisters found that séances proved to be the most effective way for people to reach spirits, while Andrew Jackson Davis believed that helping people proved to be better.

Wagner, Stephen. "The Houdini Séance."About.com Paranormal Phenomena. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://paranormal.about.com/od/Halloween/a/Houdini-Seance.htm>.

Wagner details Bess Houdini's decade-long search for communication with her husband after his death. He explains Houdini's desire to prove mediums were frauds, due to his inability to contact his mother through a medium. Wagner also shows that many Houdini fans still host séances on the anniversary of his death in hopes of hearing his message to his wife.