Final Blog

The End

For my final blog entry, I would like to take a look back at some of the key individuals we have studied during the course of this semester. Along the way, I will give you some of my personal ideas about these people and how their works have changed my thinking and beliefs that I have held for most of my life. I like to call these characters, "The People Who Changed the World." Obviously this is a course on the study of American literature and we have primarily been focused on the changes that have taken place in America. However, while most of these individuals certainly helped shaped our country into what it is today, I believe that many, it not all, of them had a profound impact on the entire world. 

Christopher Columbus

When you talk about people who shaped our country and changed the world, you have to mention Christopher Columbus as one of the key figures. Why was he so important exactly? Well, he discovered America right? As it turns out from research during my very first blog, another European, Leif Ericson, came to North America five hundred years before the time of Columbus. You have to realize that as a 31 year old, I grew up knowing that Columbus discovered our world and I believed that up until the beginning of this course. This is a huge deal! Not that long ago, Pluto's status as a planet was taken away from us too, so what are you going to tell me next, that Santa Claus isn't real either? The fact of the matter is that we still honor Columbus once a year with his own national holiday, for his supposed discovery. As we have discussed in class, there are many out there who do not recognize this as any kind of holiday at all. I don't believe it has very much to do with the discovery part, but more so with the role Columbus may have initially played in the eventual demise of the Native Americans. If you recall from our reading, there was some very disturbing depictions of the treatment of the Native American people. Their ownership of the land was not recognized by the Spaniards and they delved out brutal treatment of the men, women, and children. So, if Columbus didn't truly discover America as we have come to understand and more importantly, had a hand in the downfall of the native people, then my question to you is why do we still celebrate his accomplishments? I for one am seriously questioning everything I knew as a child, but there is no denying that Christopher Columbus changed our world, for better or worse. 

John Smith, William Bradford, and the Pilgrims

The next individuals I choose to include are John Smith, William Bradford, and The Pilgrims. I believe if you take into consideration what Smith accomplished in his life and what Bradford and the Pilgrims had to overcome, you will understand why I have included them in this discussion. 

John Smith:

So who exactly was John Smith? I think you can make the case that he was "The Most Interesting Man in the World" (at that time). Lets take a look at some of the highlights in his life to see what you think:

• Served in the Dutch and Austrian Army
• Saw military action in multiple countries
• Promoted to a Captain while fighting in Hungary
• Beheaded 3 Turkish officials during combat in Rumania (He received a patch on his coat of arms for this one. I don't think that is one you can get in the boy scouts!)
• Taken as a prisoner of war
• Later sold into slavery
• Murdered his master to escape slavery
• Eventually became governor of the early Virginian colony

And this is just the short list folks! Perhaps most famous is Smith's story of being captured by Powhatan and nearly murdered in a bizarre ceremony, only to be saved by Pocahontas at the last minute. Granted, many of the accounts of Smith's life are said to be from his own recollection and this does cause question to some aspects of certain events. Many, just as I did, believed that Smith was merely the husband of Pocahontas, as has been depicted in certain movies over the years. Whether or not you believe all we have read about John Smith, I definitely believe he is a character worth mentioning as someone who helped shape or country. 

William Bradford and the Pilgrims:

You know, I absolutely believe that we take for granted the freedoms we enjoy in this country. Whether it be the freedom of speech, press, religion, petition, or assembly, these are things we enjoy because of the sacrifices of others. Imagine being forced to adopt beliefs, religious or not, that were those of your government. Not only must you conform to what they tell you, you would be marked as a traitor and perhaps punished by death for refusing. This is exactly the type of situation William Bradford and the other Separatists were faced with, which would force them to leave behind everything they knew to be free from this kind of oppression. They would initially leave England for Holland, where their religious beliefs were more accepted, but eventually would come to understand that they must leave again as their situation began to deteriorate. Deciding to make an almost 2800 mile voyage across the sea, which was incredibly dangerous itself, they would leave behind their home and friends for "The New World." 

Obviously, their situation was not good when they finally arrived. What would you expect though coming to a totally foreign land that you knew little to nothing about? Faced with winter conditions, no immediate source of food, and no knowledge of the territory, Bradford and the Pilgrims situation was precarious to say the least. One thing I did find interesting involved the episode in which Captain Standish lead some of the others on an exploration of the land. They happened upon on some of the Indian's settlement and stole some of the food they found there. Now, the reading suggests that the Pilgrims repaid the Indians at a later date, but who knows for sure if they really did. Someone in our class suggested that they would never be able to steal from another person, especially their food. While I totally agree with the moral side of not stealing, I think we need to understand what drove them to do this in the first place. In the case of the Pilgrims, I believe it was obviously an act of desperation. Remember, they were probably starving and this food might have meant the difference between life and death. What would you do if you, or more importantly, your children with faced with the same situation? These individuals were strangers in a completely foreign land and had no one to turn to for help. I think in this instance we need to cut them a little slack!

Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson

I could probably have written this entire final blog about these last two men and we could go on all day about each of their accomplishments. Anyway you look at it, you have to agree that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson had a pivotal role in forming the early United States. Let us briefly compare and contrast the two.


Both men were scientist and inventors. Franklin contributed with new discoveries in electricity, the invention of bifocal glasses, and the Franklin Stove whereas Jefferson made major scientific advances in agriculture and was a prolific architect. Both played a huge role in the writing of The Deceleration of Independence  although Jefferson was primarily responsibly for the original draft. They were both incredibly hard working, as evidence by many of Franklin's writings, including The Way to Wealth (were he pegs most of us for being too lazy and not handling our finances correctly), and in Jefferson's accomplishments in life. He was the third President of the United States, a lawyer, author, and as we have said, a major farmer and architect. I don't know about you, but I complain when I have to work more than the normal forty hours in a week, but I'm wondering when these guys found the time just to sleep! There is no doubt that these men did so many great things and I respect them very much, but I do have one issue with their moral character. Why do I say this you ask? Franklin and Jefferson were both abolitionists and champions of liberty to all, however they both owned slaves. They both may have believe that all slaves should be freed, but they shared the belief that the whites and blacks cold never successfully live together. They thought that if the slaves were freed, they should be moved to another location where they could live among themselves. This kind of thinking really makes me wonder whether or not they truly thought this liberty was for everyone, or just their own kind. Just some food for thought.

Henry David Thoreau

For my final selection in this piece, I have chosen Henry David Thoreau simply because I feel that I can relate to him on so many levels. Thoreau was a strong abolitionist, as we have found to be the case with the majority of the individuals we have studied over this semester. As we have read in the text, Thoreau was so anti-slavery, he was thrown in jail for refusing to pay his local tax. This as a way of his showing disapproval of the war against Mexico, due to its pro-slavery nature. He was noted for his work on Resistance to Civil Government, also known as Civil Disobedience  and is quoted as having said, "that government is best which governs least." Without giving away any of my political affiliations, I whole heartily share this belief. Perhaps my favorite aspect of Thoreau's work, was that which he did at Walden. Some might say he was cray for conducting his "experiment" in constructing a cabin and moving to the woods for two years. However, I would suggest that Thoreau was on to a major revelation here. What if we are the crazy ones for choosing to stay in society and have the burdens and demands of life continue to bring us down. There have been others throughout history who I believe have sought after the very same things that Thoreau was trying to find. 

                        

     

In the video above we see a man name Richard Proenneke who at the age of 51 did virtually the same thing Thoreau did. While Thoreau didn't seclude himself as much as Proenneke, the same basic premise remains. Proenneke, who was in the Navy during WWII was also a skilled carpenter, diesel mechanic, cattle rancher, and commercial fisherman among other things. He realized that he wanted to live a simpler life and decided to construct a log cabin, just as Thoreau (entirely from hand and with primitive tools), and moved to the remote Twin Lakes region of the Alaskan wilderness. Are you kidding me? If anyone every fit the bill of being a bad ass, this guy was it! So, what exactly are any of us looking for in this life? I think Thoreau said it best in one of his most famous quotes from Walden. 

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
-Thoreau

How many of us will discover when we come to die that we have not lived? Perhaps if we remind ourselves of this on a daily basis, we will change not only our own lives but the world as well!

Blog #8

Bartleby, the Scrivener

For this week I would like to explore Herman Melville's story of Bartleby, the Scrivener. The first thing that came to my mind when reading this story was all the weird people I have worked with over the years. I think it's some kind of rule that no matter what kind of work you do or what kind of organization you work for, you will always have to deal with strange co-workers. By the way, for personal reasons, mainly because I'm afraid some of these cats might read this and come hunt me down, I won't divulge any names of people I mention or the name of the organizations I worked for. One of my favorite examples of a really weird person I worked with, was at my last job where this one guy would sit in the back of the lunch room everyday and talk to himself about vampires and werewolf's. Ya, I'm not making this up folks, and this is years before Twilight, so he wasn't just a hardcore Edward or Jacob fan! There are people at my current job who are definitely out there as well. One person that comes to mind is always reminding everyone to cut the RFID tags off your clothes so the government would be able to track your moves. What is it with these people??? I'm sure many of you have a number of similar examples about people you work with that are strange, but unlike Bartleby, the ones I have mentioned have not ended up in prison and starved themselves to death, yet. It is my opinion though, that Bartleby's issues were driven by the sometimes overwhelming pressures and burdens that work can put on us. There have definitely been times in my life when I have felt like just giving up on my career and walking out the door due to stress or major demands on performance. However, it has never escalated to the point where I gave up on life, just as Bartleby did. One the other hand, it may have something to do with undesirable work such as working in the Dead Letters Office, as Bartleby did. Social workers and heath care workers are said to have high rates of depression. Could this be due to dealing with death and painful situations on a daily basis? I think the answer is obvious. One thing that I have had to learn the hard way, is that you cannot take your work home with you. If you do, you may soon find yourself in Bartleby's shoes.

Blog #7

Henry David Thoreau

 Some might say Thoreau was a crazy for conducting his "experiment" and moving to the woods for two years, but I would like to suggest that he was on to something. While he wasn't totally secluded from other human contact, maybe he just wanted to get away for the complexities of life for a while. I am an avid hiker and have made many backpacking trips to multiple locations. I absolutely love getting away from everything for a few days at a time and having nothing but nature to deal with. Below are some photographs some friends and I took during one of our backpacking trips. These were taken at Savage Gulf, which is a wilderness area located in Tennessee's South Cumberland State Park. I have included, for obvious reasons, a picture of Hobbs Cabin, which is located deep within the wilderness area. After reading about Thoreau's cabin, I immediately thought about Hobbs Cabin and how it reminded me of his situation. As you can see, there practically nothing to this cabin but a fire place and a few bunks. It really puts things into perspective when it's just you and nature, miles from anyone, and a few supplies to live on for a few days. One thing that is especially difficult, in this day and age, is leaving your cell phone at home during a trip like this. Now you might think that is a crazy thing to do as someone could get hurt and you would have no way to contact anyone for help. However, there is a certain feeling of exhilaration in doing so! I really believe that we as a society are so "plugged in", that it would do everyone a bit of good to try this sometime and I challenge each of you to do so. 

One final example that reminds me of Thoreau's actions is a story of someone who I think is an extraordinary person. The story of Dick Proenneke is one of my favorite true life adventures. Proenneke is one of those people you can't help but be amazed by all his accomplishments. He served in the Navy during WWII, was a skilled carpenter, diesel mechanic, cattle rancher, and a commercial fisherman among many other things. A sickness which left him bedridden for almost six months, while he was in the Navy, made him come to appreciate life and it was during this time which he developed his plan to move to the wilderness of Alaska. In 1968, he began construction on a log cabin, completely from scratch and by hand, in the Twin Lakes region of the Alaskan wilderness. Perhaps most incredibly is the fact that Proenneke started this adventure while he was in his 50's! One thing I can tell you for sure is that I don't see myself leaving society at the age of 50 to build a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. Like Thoreau, I believe that he wanted to get back to a simpler way of life. While Thoreau built a similar cabin, he didn't quite remove himself from the human race as much as Proenneke did, but I believe their intentions were very similar. Below is a video which gives you a brief look at Proenneke's journey. It is about 9 minutes long, but I think you will enjoy it very much. 

Blog #6

Fanny Fern
I have to say, the first time reading through Fern's sketches, I initially thought that this was a woman scorned and one who had it out for the male race. Maybe it was her second marriage to Samuel Farrington that did her in, but she really has a way of sticking it to men. The more I think about it though, I think she just might have our number fellas!

Times were much different then and women were viewed completely different, as far as their roles in society and the home go. Granted, Fanny was writing in a totally different world than ours today, but I believe many of her examples of men hold true to this day. Such examples can be found in Aunt Hetty on Matrimony. After reading this piece, one thing in particular that caught my attention was her note about the husband leaving the house and apologizing at the same time for not doing some errand he was supposed to do the day before. I had a good laugh with my wife after sharing this with her, because I have to admit that I am guilty of doing the exact same thing. One of my favorite sayings to the wife when it comes to doing things around the house is, "in just a minute." Of course a minute turns in to hours and even days in some cases, but hey, we eventually get the job done right guys? Something else in her story that is similar to my case, and many other couples I'm sure, is her example of the wife having to deal with the children at home all day and feeling crazy for it. While this is one thing that is less and less common these days, there are still plenty of stay-at-home mothers who take care of the house and children. As a father of two children, one and four years old, I can tell you right now that this is every bit, and more in some cases, of a full time job. There have been several times when the kids are fussy or running wild through the house and I welcome the opportunity to go to work! Fern might be just a little cynical though in her assessment about love being a farce and marriage not being all it's cracked up to be. There is no doubt that marriage is hard work, but there is also no doubt in my mind that two people who truly love each other can live their entire lives happy together. 

One final thing that I believe Fern does well in pegging men, is her depiction of them in Hungry Husbands. I don't know about the rest of the men out there, but I sure do love food! Not only to I love to eat it, but I love to talk about it with other people as well. Fern makes mention of this in telling about how men are more pleasant when they are discussing food. Unfortunately, I believe she is right again when she talks about how savage men can be when they are indeed hungry. I can tell you from personal experience, that if I go too long without eating, I become very grumpy. So much so in some cases, I don't want to even talk to anyone until I get some food in me. Hunger can be a very powerful thing, as it has driven, not only men, but people in general to do some crazy things. Using hunger to subdue your men though ladies, that's just flat out cruel. Of course, you do have to cook on a regular basis for this to work, so for all you ladies out there who prefer to order out, better luck next time!

Blog #5

Edgar Allan Poe

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Edgar Allan Poe? If you are like me, and most likely the majority of other people, you think of a weirdo, freak or crazy person. I mean, the man must have been mentally disturbed in some for or fashion to write some of the things he did right? Maybe, just as our book suggests, we owe his bad reputation to Rufus Griswold's smear campaign. However, it also states that Poe spread some rumors himself, which may have cast him in an unfavorable light with the public. Why would someone want to intentionally want to make themselves look bad? Could it have possibly been that Poe wanted people to fear him? Who can say for sure, but it is an interesting topic for discussion. 

In our reading, The Cask of Amontillado, the main character takes his supposed revenge on his foe by burying him alive in the catacomb. Poe's obsession with being buried alive came through in some of his tales, such as this one. As we suggested in class, this fear was not without good cause. 19th century medicine was by no means and exact science and misdiagnosis of death, which could in turn lead to premature burial, was not out of the realm of possibility. Coffins, such as in the picture to the left and in the linked article below, were sold to prevent instances of being buried alive. Coffin Technologies A flag, bell or speaker was used as a signal from below to alert someone above ground that you, in fact, were not dead! This fascination of being buried can be found throughout history on TV shows and in films. An episode of Alfred Hitchcock from 1955 called Breakdown, depicts a man who was involved in a car accident which leaves him paralyzed to the point in which he is believed to be dead. More recently, movies such as Kill Bill vol 2 and Buried have characters who are also buried alive. One interesting tradition, that is relative to this matter, involves the current pope at the time of his death. Traditionally, when a reigning pope died, he was struck on the forehead with a silver hammer. At the same time, his name would be called out three times to confirm that he was indeed dead. According to this article, that tradition has today been replaced with an electrocardiogram to confirm death. A little more accurate, wouldn't you say?

Blog #4

Rip Van Winkle

The story of Rip Van Winkle reminds me of so many movies I have seen in which the main character finds himself in a similar situation as Rip. The characters in these movies don't necessarily have a few beers and bowl a few games with some woodland elves only to pass out and wake up twenty years later. They do however, fall asleep and either wake up some years later to not have aged or wake up in another life or as someone else altogether. I'm sure there have been times when we all wished we could  go forward or backward in time during our life. Or maybe we wished we could go to sleep and later wake up as a totally different person. However, how do all of the stories turn out, including Rip Van Winkle? The main character always wishes he could return to his true reality and have his old life back. I suspect this would be the case for us as well. Even if we could go back in time and change an event in our lives, who knows what effect it would have on our life in the present. Or what if you could go forward as Rip did and learn of your future, only you would be able to return to the present with the knowledge of things to come? I don't know about you, but I for one would be constantly mentally tormented with thoughts on how to change the future in my favor. Either way, we know this is not possible and the Story of Rip Van Winkle is only a fictional account. However, I prefer to live my life without regrets of past experiences or without worries of future uncertainties. 

Blog 3(b)

The Validity of Olaudah Equiano 

by William Weston Brown

Olaudah Equiano or Gustavusg Vassa as he would later become known, is an interesting and important figure to say the least. After reading his account of being kidnapped and sold into slavery during his childhood, I couldn't help but feel disgusted. Especially horrific were the scenes Equiano depicted of life aboard the slaves ships. The short video below gives some visual representation of this awful time in history.

How could anyone not be sickened by the terrible treatment of the African Americans during this time? Now, you may have noticed the title of this blog and you might be asking yourself if I am questioning if these events even took place at all. There is no doubt whatsoever that the African American slave trade was very real and the brutal treatment of the slaves is well documented. I simply find it interesting that there is some controversy as to whether or not Equiano was in fact born in the region he claimed, which is now known as Nigeria, and as to whether or not he endured passage on one of these slaves ships. But why would he falsify these accounts? There is certainly no controversy that the man actually existed and played a major role in fighting slavery. Perhaps he embellished the story to gain more notoriety and further advance the movement of abolitionism. Or what if he is just did it to gain more notoriety in order to sell more books? We made mention of a instance like this in class in which James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces , fabricated of the events in his National Bestseller in order to perhaps boost sales and shed himself in a heroic light. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if it really even matters whether or not Equiano made the events up or not. Would his actions not be justifiable  in order to bring attention the indecency of the inhumane business of the slave trade? If you ask me, I certainly think the means justify the end in this case.