Setting: 19th Century Paris

Many American writers have set their stories -- mystery or otherwise -- in the French capital, perhaps due to its beauty and mystery, but also because it has been long recognized, along with London, as a world capital of the literary and visual arts. So, what did 19th century Paris look like? It's easy to find out since much of 19th century Paris is still with us today.

Here are some places mentioned in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (remember: rue means road or street in French; quartier means neighborhood; faubourg means suburb)

hotel in Faubourg St. Germain

Faubourg St. Germain
Located near the École des Beaux-Arts, this quarter is known for its artistry in general, and has many galleries along its rue Bonaparte and rue de Seine. In all, Saint-Germain-des-Prés is an upper-class bourgeois residential district, and its quality clothing and gastronomical street-side commerce is a direct reflection of this.

cafe on the Rue St. Denis

Rue St. Denis
One of the oldest streets in Paris, its route was first laid out in the 1st century by the Romans, and then extended to the north in the Middle Ages. From the Middle Ages to the present day, the street has become notorious as a place of prostitution. Its name derives from it being the historic route to Saint-Denis.


Rue de Richelieu
One of the longest streets in Paris, and for the first half of the nineteenth century, before Baron Hausmann redefined Paris with grand boulevards, it was one of the most fashionable streets of Paris. Today it is most notable for scattered coin dealers and currency changers, being near the stock market.

The First Modern Detective Story

fictional detectives -- how many can you name?

In addition to being a sly humorist, tomahawk literary critic, and master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe is also notably credited with inventing the modern detective story. The first fictional private detective is recognized as Poe's C. Auguste Dupin, introduced in 1841 with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."

Poe shifted the focus of the mystery story from the description of shocking crimes and eerie setting to what Poe calls "ratiocination" -- using the powers of human observation, logic, and creative imagination, even putting himself in the mind of the criminal, in order to solve the mystery. Critic Brander Matthews wrote: "The true detective story as Poe conceived it is not in the mystery itself, but rather in the successive steps whereby the analytic observer is enabled to solve the problem that might be dismissed as beyond human elucidation."

Dupin was the prototype for the more famous male detectives who would capture the imagination of generations of readers. Each had his own set of personal eccentricities, but all shared in using a process of ratiocination. A partial list:

Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle
Hercule Poirot, by Agatha Christie
Lord Peter Wimsey, by Dorothy Sayers
Father Brown, by G.K. Chesterton
Inspector Maigret, by Georges Simenon


"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is also the most famous example of the mystery subgenre known as the locked room mystery, in which a murder victim is found inside an apparently sealed enclosure and the detective's challenge is to discover the murderer's modus operandi. Other famous locked room mysteries include Sherlock Holmes' "The Adventure of the Crooked Man," which bears many similarities to "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." Others include:

"The Oracle of the Dog" by G.K. Chesterton
"The King Is Dead" by Ellery Queen
The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Other Poe Stories You May Enjoy

Those who attended Giles Davies's one-man Poe show seemed to particularly enjoy the renditions of two of Poe's more humorous works: "Never Bet the Devil Your Head" (featuring Toby Dammit) and "The Angel of the Odd." These two stories are available online as follows:

Never Bet the Devil Your Head [ link to full text ]
A spoof of a morality tale: The narrator, presented as the author himself, is dismayed by literary critics saying that he has never written a moral tale. The narrator then begins telling the story of his friend Toby Dammit. Dammit is described as a man of many vices, presumably at least in part due to his left-handed mother flogging him with her left hand, considered improper. Dammit often made rhetorical bets, becoming fond of the expression "I'll bet the devil my head." Though the narrator tries to break Dammit of bad habits, he fails. Nevertheless, the two remain friends until they reach a covered bridge.

Now if you would prefer to watch the 20-minute movie from 2007, which looks either like an excellent production by high school students or a very cheap production from professionals.

Angel of the Odd [ link to full text ]
The story follows an unnamed narrator who reads a story about a man who died after accidentally sucking a needle down his throat. He rages at the gullibility of humanity for believing a hoax. He vows to never fall for such odd stories. Just then, a strange-looking creature made of a keg and wine bottles appears. The creature announces in a heavy accent that he is the Angel of the Odd - and that he is responsible for causing such strange events.

Tips to Understand Poe's Work

Reenactment of Poe's funeral on October 11, 2009

Here are some tips on understanding the themes, motifs, and style of Edgar Allan Poe. This should be a valuable resource for you when reading and writing about Poe. This may also provide some food-for-thought when it comes to writing your Poe essay, which will be fully assigned tomorrow.

Poe's depiction of death:

• Death is not only inevitable, but it also can be beautiful, especially as it is portrayed in the poems.
• Death can be horrific when someone realizes it is imminent.
• Guilt, hatred, or revenge are appropriate justifications for murder.
• Impending death can be postponed, but not always.
• Death may actually enhance a loved one's beauty.

Poe's portrayal of love and beauty, especially in the poems:

• Love is chosen by the individual, not determined merely by fate.
• Love has historical, sometimes mythological, references.
• Love has no boundaries, not even in death.
• Beauty is only an idea, one that even death cannot weaken.
• Beauty in its ideal form cannot be attained.

Poe's innovative and unusual use of words in both genres:

• Words are frequently used for the way they sound, as well as for their meanings.
• Poe's rhythm and internal rhyme becomes almost hypnotic in many poems.
• The difficult vocabulary reflects the style of Poe's time period.
• Every important word is intended to evoke a mood or atmosphere in the reader, and Poe aimed for the same effect regardless of whether the work was prose or poetry.

Poe's ability to instill fear in the reader, primarily in the short stories:

• Poe builds suspense throughout the stories, revealing some facts while withholding others.
• Because the element of danger is usually present, the reader can feel the intensity of the emotions.
• The narration is frequently first person, which makes the reader's connection to the story more intimate.
• Poe's descriptions are usually minutely detailed to give a sense of verisimilitude to the stories, despite their supernatural atmosphere.
• The use of irony and black humor is common.
• Gothic elements are usually prominent in his writing: the supernatural, evil animals, and dark, gloomy settings
• Poe's depictions of how the human mind works heighten a reader's connection to the story.
• The surprise endings provide a reason to go back through the work to look for clues missed on the first reading.

Poe Show -- Please note

Those of you who are attending the Poe Show at the CSC, just a reminder: please show up in the lobby before 7:15, especially if I have your ticket. The doors of the theater close at 7:30, which mean we should be in the theater and seated before then.

Here are some rules of etiquette and tips for watching the play -- from the CSC:

It’s a great idea to brush up on theater etiquette to help everyone enjoy the experience. The following guidelines offer tips on what is expected of audience members.

Before the performance:

Buy your tickets in advance: In order to see a live performance, you first will need to buy a ticket. Your ticket will be for a specific date and show and is not refundable. You can, however, change the date for a small surcharge. Your tickets can be picked up at will call or purchased at the box office.

Dress comfortably: We want you to enjoy the live theater you’re about to see. Please dress comfortably, whatever that may be to you. Dress up or dress down; just be ready to see some great live theater!

Arrive a little early: Because you are attending a live performance, audience members may not be admitted if they arrive late. This avoids disturbing the performance for the actors and other audience members. Plan to arrive about 15 minutes early.

Take care of personal needs: Try to use the restroom before the show begins. Otherwise, if you leave your seat before intermission, you’ll most likely disturb other audience members and the performers.

Find your assigned seat: An usher will greet you before you enter the theater and ask for your ticket with its assigned seat number. When you sit in your assigned seat, you’ll help prevent confusion for other audience members. Once you’re settled, turn off your mobile phone so it does not disturb the performance or those seated around you if it rings.

Check out the program: The usher will give you a printed program. By arriving early, you’ll have enough time to read it and have an idea of what to expect in the show. You’ll also find names and information about people who are performing and helping to produce the show. It’s an enjoyable read—and sometimes surprising!

During the performance:

Listen closely: You will hear actors perform live for you, and careful listening will help keep you from missing important elements of the performance. Try to avoid talking or fidgeting during the performance. You'll be able to hear better and also avoid disturbing those around you.

Respond readily: During the live performance, feel free to let the actors know you appreciate the show. Laugh at funny parts, cheer when it’s called for, applaud when you like something, and even shriek when you’re frightened. We always appreciate a respectful, appropriate response.

After the performance:

Applaud enthusiastically: Show your appreciation by applauding for the performers. Occasionally, you might hear people applaud or cheer during the performance; that’s fine once in a while. But most often the audience holds its applause until after the performance has ended.

Remain seated for the curtain call: At the end of the performance there is usually a curtain call. This is when the actors come on stage to accept your appreciation. Wait to leave until the curtain call is over and exit with the rest of the audience.

Stand and applaud: Actors are thrilled when they receive what’s called a “standing ovation.” If you really liked the show and want to reward the performers with the highest praise, you’re welcome to stand and applaud.

Doppelgängers in literature

Doppelganger in "William Wilson"

A Doppelganger ("double goer" in German) is a double or second-self. In literature, dream analysis, or archetypal symbolism, the Doppelganger is often figured as a twin, shadow, or mirror-image of the protagonist. The Doppelganger characteristically appears as identical to (or closely resembling) the protagonist; sometimes the protagonist and Doppelganger have the same name. Prominent literary examples of Doppelgangers include Poe's "William Wilson," Joseph Conrad's The Secret Sharer, Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Double, Al-Tayyib Salih's Season of Migration to the North, and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man.

In its simplest incarnation, mistaken identity is a classic trope used in literature, from Twelfth Night (as Jennifer & Larry will recall) to A Tale of Two Cities. But in these cases, the characters look similar for perfectly normal reasons, such as being siblings or simple coincidence. These are NOT doppelgangers.

Other stories offer supernatural explanations for doubles. These doppelgängers are typically, but not always, dark or evil in some way. The double will often impersonate the victim and go about ruining them, for instance through committing crimes or insulting the victim's friends (like in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde). Sometimes, the double even tries to kill the original. The torment is occasionally earned; for instance, in Edgar Allan Poe's short story William Wilson, the protagonist of questionable morality is dogged by his doppelgänger most tenaciously when his morals fail.

When doppelgängers are used as harbingers of impending destruction, they are almost always supernaturally based. Doppelgängers are sometimes the evil copies of the player in games. They are usually meant as 'the final test', conquering yourself. Another variant, usually seen in science fiction, involves clones, which creates a genetically identical new being without the memories and experiences of the original. Some futuristic variants in fiction duplicate living beings in their entirety, albeit sometimes with modified memories and motives.

Doubles are also seen in fiction involving time travel and parallel universes, as in The Time Traveller's Wife. In this case, the doppelgänger really "is" the doubled person, but from a different timeline or different version of the universe.

Trivia: Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was convinced he had a doppelganger? Carl Sandburg's biography contains the following:

A dream or illusion had haunted Lincoln at times through the winter. On the evening of his election he had thrown himself on one of the haircloth sofas at home, just after the first telegrams of November 6 had told him he was elected President, and looking into a bureau mirror across the room he saw himself full length, but with two faceIt bothered him; he got up; the illusion vanished; but when he lay down again there in the glass again were two faces, one paler than the other. He got up again, mixed in the election excitement, forgot about it; but it came back, and haunted him. He told his wife about it; she worried too. A few days later he tried it once more and the illusion of the two faces again registered to his eyes. But that was the last; the ghost since then wouldn't come back, he told his wife, who said it was a sign he would be elected to a second term, and the death pallor of one face meant he wouldn't live through his second term.

Adaptation of "The Masque of the Red Death"

Here is an interesting interpretation/adaptation of "The Masque of the Red Death." It's a highly abridged version, but the animator renders the masquerade quite nicely -- worthy of a look:

View: Masque of the Red Death animation

Masquerade Masks & Plague Masks

Masques for the Venetian carnevale festivities

Re "The Masque of the Red Death": The following is a brief summary of the most common masquerade mask types used during the plague years of the Renaissance in Italy.

• Check out the masquerade masks video here.

Masks are an essential feature of il Carnevale di Venezia. Venice's Carnival began in the 11th century, and the wearing of masks and costumes was well established by 1436, when mask makers or mascereri were officially recognized with their own guild.

The practice of wearing masks for disguise reached its peak in the 18th century when Venetians of different social classes used Carnevale as an excuse to mingle among different classes of people without fear of recognition or retribution. The mask was always worn over a black hood with a black tricorn hat, along with a long black cape to give the maximum degree of disguise.

The volto masque

The volto mask completely hides the face. The moretta was a common type of volto -- an all black velvet mask made for women held in place by their teeth, which was supposed to add to their mysterious air. (The woman was supposed to charm the man without necessarily "talking.")

The bauta masque (spoon mask)

The traditional bauta mask allows the masquerader to eat and drink without removing it as it jets out from the face by several inches. It's also known as a "spoon mask" -- never mind a mouth on the mask. Worn all year round by the Venetian upper classes, the Bauta was the most popular of disguises during Carnevale.

The plague doctor masque

The plague doctor masque was said to protect the doctor from various diseases -- like Bubonic Plague -- since its very long nose doesn't exactly let you get too close to anyone's face.

Gallery of masques:

Snapshot: Novels with Unreliable Narrators

If any of you are particularly attracted to the literary idea of the unreliable narrator, some splendid American novels make use of one. Here are three:

One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
"Chief" Bromden, a patient at a mental hospital, suffers from schizophrenia, and his telling of the events often includes things such as people growing or shrinking, walls oozing with slime, or the orderlies kidnapping and "curing" Santa Claus.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Charlie Gordon, the narrator in Daniel Keyes' epistolary novel, Flowers for Algernon is mentally retarded at the start of the novel but develops greater intelligence and understanding as the novel progresses.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw, in which a young woman experiences ghostly hauntings summoned by supernaturally-powered children, can be interpreted as a novel of unreliable narration, but whether or not the narrator is actually delusional is left ambiguous. The young woman, a governess, tells stories of children being "threatened by the ghost of Quint," with the possible goal of misleading the reader into becoming a "victim of the governess's unreliable narration."

The Unreliable Narrator

The unreliable narrator is a distinct and important aspect of some of Poe's writings -- both his short stories and his poetry. Here's a good description from poewar.com:

An unreliable narrator is a first-person narrator that for some reason has a compromised point-of-view. In all stories with a first-person narrator, the narrator serves as a filter for the events. What the narrator does not know or observe cannot be explained to the reader. Usually, however, the reader trusts that the narrator is knowledgeable and truthful enough to give them an accurate representation of the story. In the case of an unreliable narrator (sometimes called a fallible narrator), the reader has reason not to trust what the narrator is saying.

The narrator may be unreliable for many reasons. Some of the typical scenarios are:

• The narrator may be of a dramatically different age than the people in the story, such as a child attempting to explain adult actions
• The narrator may have prejudices about race, class or gender
• The narrator may have low intelligence
• The narrator may suffer from hallucinations or dementia
• The narrator may have a personality flaw such as pathological lying or narcissism
• The narrator may be trying to make a point that is contrary to the actions of the story or be attempting to libel one of the characters due to a grudge

Whatever flaw the narrator has, at some point the reader will realize that the narrator’s interpretation of the events cannot be fully trusted and will begin to form their own opinions about the events and motivations within the story. Some readers will be put off by this approach. Stories depend on the willing suspension of disbelief, and readers can be pulled out of the story when they realize the narrator cannot be trusted. This is why telling a tale from this viewpoint can be problematic. There is a fine line between distrusting the narrator and distrusting the writer.

When done badly, a story written from this point-of-view can be viewed as manipulative, misleading, confusing and pretentious. When successful, however, the results can be powerful and fascinating.

Tell-Tale Heart -- Animation

Here's an animated version of "The Tell-tale Heart" from 1953 with James Mason narrating. You'll notice it's been shortened a bit -- the more graphic parts have been expurgated; unfortunately, one of the most important phrases (used twice in the story) has also been removed: "...a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton."

View the 7-minute animation

An Exploration of Poe Stories

Here's a highly recommended research website devoted to the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Poestories.com

This site contains short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe, story summaries, quotes, and linked vocabulary words and definitions for educational reading. It also includes a short biography, a timeline of Poe's life, and links to other Poe sites.

Most people recognize Poe by his famous poem, "The Raven". Others may have read one of his more popular dark and creepy tales like, "The Fall of the House of Usher" or "The Tell-tale Heart". Poe wrote quite a few gothic stories about murder, revenge, torture, the plague, being buried alive, and insanity. Many modern books and movies have "borrowed" ideas from Poe. Some of Poe's stories were not well accepted in his day because people were just not ready for them- they were too scary.

Poe Show -- Update

I purchased tickets to the Poe show for everyone who gave me ticket money. We've got seats in Rows D and E. If anyone else is interested in going, you can still buy your own tickets. As of last Friday there were still seats available contiguous to our seats. Call the box office at 381-BARD.

Again, the show begins at 7:30 p.m. next Sunday, November 1st. The house lobby opens at 6:30 and the theater opens at 7:00. If you are not going with me, please meet us in the lobby of the theater between 7:00 and 7:15. If you need directions, please consult the CSC website.

M. Night Shyamalan & the Raven

For those who enjoyed The Village, you may be interested in checking out the director's official website. It is instructive to note that the icon/symbol M. Night Shyamalan uses on his website is the raven -- taken from Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem "The Raven" (Once upon a midnight dreary...)

Not coincidentally, the first work we'll be reading from Poe next week is "The Raven."

The Village -- A Review

Now that you've seen the movie and had a bit of time to consider its themes, here's a balanced review from The National Review from 2004, at the time The Village was released in theaters. An excerpt:

The Village's greatest strength is a moral core that never devolves into moralistic propaganda.

Shyamalan poses questions about the human response to evil and loss then allows the audience to come its own conclusions. His themes are incredibly relevant to the dilemmas we face today: Should we confront the things that threaten us and try to defeat them, or should we retreat, sacrificing even truth if it is necessary to enjoy a precious, if tenuous, peace? Should we ignore real menaces we can't control in favor of imagined ones we can?

Shyamalan doesn't paint his villagers motivations as right or wrong, and his reticence to make an allegory of his tale may leave some viewers frustrated. But it will also leave them thinking more deeply about the issues than if they were force-fed a lesson. Already, critics are reviewing The Village through their own political lenses, and it is to Shyamalan's credit that both the left and right could make credible arguments that the film falls in their favor. [ read whole review ]

Your thoughts on the movie, its relevance to The Crucible and Irving's stories?

Crucible Test -- Key

For a limited time, I'm making available the answer key for the multiple choice section of the Crucible test in PDF form, so you can check your answers and see which ones you missed (if any).

That PDF is available by clicking here.
[Update: The answer key is now offline.]

At the same time, for something a bit offbeat (and silly), but still related, have a look at this:
The Crucible 3-Minute Cartoon

Or if you'd like to see Giles Correy say, "More weight!"
Giles Corey Death Scene

Tickets for Poe Show -- Sunday, November 1

We'll be having the high-school night out to see the new one-man Poe show at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company on Race St. downtown on Sunday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. Student tickets are $15 -- a great price! Adult tickets are $20.

You have two options to purchase tickets:

Option One: If you give me your ticket money by this Friday at 11:00 a.m. I'll buy them for you at the Box Office on Friday afternoon.

Option Two: You can purchase your tickets directly by phoning 513.381.BARD or online from the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's website [here]

So, you want to know: What is a one-man Poe show. Actor Vincent Price was famous for his one-man Poe show presentations. Here are a few links to Price's renditions of Poe's works:

• The Tell-Tale Heart
• The Raven
• The Cask of Amontillado

If you have any questions, you may leave them in the comments box!

The One-Man Poe Show

After we finish The Crucible unit this week -- the end of the first quarter -- we will be taking a break from the Puritanism of 17th century Salem and turning to the American Gothic works of Edgar Allan Poe before we dive into The Scarlet Letter (also set in 17th century Salem). Late October seems to be a suitable time to study the "master of horror and suspense."

In order to supplement the Poe unit I'm going to organize a high-school night out to see the new one-man Poe show at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company on Race St. downtown. I'm looking at Friday, October 30 and Sunday, November 1 as possible dates. The shows are at 7:30 on both days. Student tickets are $15 -- a great price!

Stay tuned for further information on how to obtain tickets. We're inquiring into getting a block of tickets for one of these nights; so, please let me know ASAP if any of you see any obvious scheduling conflicts for one night or the other.

Usage Tip: Hark Back or Hearken Back?

Hark means to listen attentively, as in "Hark, the herald angels sing..."

Hark back is a related idiom, meaning "to return to a previous point, as in a narrative." (Myself, I prefer the synonymous idiom "givelendan ear," also written as "givelendone's ear.")

Hearken is nearly synonymous to hark, meaning "to make an effort to hear something." However, the idiom above does not synonymously translate into hearken back, though many mistakenly use "hearken back" rather than "hark back."

So, hark back -- or givelendone's ear!

Crucible -- Character Sketches

Here's an excellent resource that I highly recommend: The "Deeper Roots Project" provides helpful character sketches of Abigail, Reverend Hale, and Reverend Parris, using The Crucible movie for visual illustration. Having a look through these would be helpful for preparing for next week's test as well as for producing the play.

Abigail Williams -- part 1

Abigail Williams -- part 2

Reverend Hale -- part 1

Reverend Hale -- part 2

Reverend Samuel Parris

You may be able to find a few other episodes from the Deeper Roots Project.

Snapshots: American War Novels

A number of American novels dealing with the general theme of war would be suitable for the Three-Books Project. In addition to Heller's Catch 22 (already featured here), these three provide a unique look at Americans at war, the aftermath of war, and the sometimes-absurdity of war. You'll notice that each was written in a different decade in the 20th century.

Slaughterhouse Five (1969) by Kurt Vonnegut
Chaplain's Assistant Billy Pilgrim, an ill-trained American soldier, is captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and taken to a prison in Dresden. The Germans put Billy and his fellow prisoners in a disused slaughterhouse, known as "Slaughterhouse number 5." The POW's and German guards alike hide in a deep cellar; because of their safe hiding place, they are some of the few survivors of the city-destroying firestorm during the Bombing of Dresden in World War II. Billy has come "unstuck in time" and experiences past and future events out of sequence and repetitively. He is kidnapped by extraterrestrial aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. They exhibit him in a zoo with B-movie starlet Montana Wildhack as his mate. The Tralfamadorians, who can see in four dimensions, have already seen every instant of their lives. They believe in predestination. They say they cannot choose to change anything about their fates, but can choose to concentrate upon any moment in their lives, and Billy becomes convinced of the correctness of their theories. [ review ]

Johnny Got His Gun (1939) by Dalton Trumbo
Joe Bonham, a young American soldier, is hit by a mortar shell on the last day of World War I. He lies in a hospital bed in a fate worse than death --- a quadruple amputee who has lost his arms, legs, eyes, ears, mouth and nose. He remains conscious and able to think, thereby reliving his life through strange dreams and memories, unable to distinguish whether he is awake or dreaming. He remains frustrated by his situation, until one day when Joe discovers a unique way to communicate with his caregivers -- by banging his head on his pillow in Morse code. His wish is that he may be put in a glass box and tour the country, to show people the true horrors of war. As he drifts between reality and fantasy, he remembers his old life with his family and girlfriend, and reflects upon the myths and realities of war. He also forms a bond, of sorts, with a young nurse who senses his plight... [ review ]

The Caine Mutiny (1951) by Herman Wouk
Willie Keith, with a low opinion of the ways of the Navy, misses his ship when it leaves on a combat assignment, and rather than catch up with it, ducks his duties to play piano for an admiral who has taken a shine to him. But guilt-stricken by a last letter from his father, who has died of melanoma, he reports aboard the Caine. He immediately disapproves of its decaying condition and slovenly crew, which he attributes to a slackness of discipline by the ship's longtime captain, Lieutenant Commander William De Vriess. Willie's lackadaisical attitude toward what he considers menial and repetitive duties brings about a humiliating clash with De Vriess when Willie neglects a communications message. While Willie is still pouting over his punishment, De Vriess is relieved by Lieutenant Commander Philip Francis Queeg... [ review ]

Word of the Day: Somnambulism

Somnambulism: a condition that is characterized by walking while asleep or in a hypnotic trance; also known as: hypnobatia, noctambulism

If you're looking for an interesting and curious story to read in preparation for All Hallow's Eve, you might want to read "Somnambulism: A Fragment" by Charles Brockton Brown (1771-1810), a pioneer of the American novel.

Here's an excerpt from a review (explication) of the story:

Benjamin Franklin Made Me Do It!
In "Somnambulism: A Fragment" Charles Brockden Brown uses the gothic style to convey an unharnessed terror in a single vision: Young Althorpe, while sleepwalking in a forest, murders the woman he desires. But the story is more than a ludicrous curiosity, to read it thus would miss its elegantly stated manifesto against the dangers of Benjamin Franklin's megalomaniacal ideals of industry and pragmatism. The story exploits Franklin's example of the studious, dutiful, useful young man and turns him into a monster. Browns' mode of style is strategic, subversive, infiltrating the reader and earnest student of the eighteenth century by mixing the ordinary with the grotesque, the intelligent with the very wrong.

"Somnambulism scares because it is surrounded with the normal, because its central character, its killer, is not the usual deviant monster, but a sharp, educated young man, not very far removed from the ideals of Franklin himself. As a cue of his hunger to learn, his desire for accurate information, Althorpe uses an elevated language (example: "The family retired to sleep. My mind had been too powerfully excited to permit me to imitate their example.")...

read entire article...

Snapshot (+Reminder): Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger

Reminder: Please keep in mind that now, while your reading load is very light, you should be exploring potential books for your Three-Book Term project. You will need to have determined which books you will be reading and writing about by mid-second quarter. This research paper is a very significant part of the course.

In case you've forgotten, here's the intro sheet to the project:
Intro Sheet to Three-Books Project [ PDF ]

Meanwhile, I'll continue to present some snapshots of American works we won't be studying together during the year. This time on to J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey. Here's an excerpt from a seminal review in The New York Times by John Updike in 1961:

...and now "Franny" and "Zooey" have a book to themselves. These two stories--the first medium-short, the second novella- length--are contiguous in time, and have as their common subject Franny's spiritual crisis.

In the first story, she arrives by train from a Smith-like college to spend the week-end of the Yale game at what must be Princeton. She and her date, Lane Coutell, go to a restaurant where it develops that she is not only unenthusiastic but downright ill. She attempts to explain herself while her friend brags about a superbly obnoxious term paper and eats frogs' legs. Finally, she faints, and is last seen lying in the manager's office silently praying at the ceiling.

In the second story, Franny has returned to her home, a large apartment in the East Seventies. It is the Monday following her unhappy Saturday. Only Franny's mother, Bessie, and her youngest brother, Zooey, are home. While Franny lies sleeplessly on the living-room sofa, her mother communicates, in an interminably rendered conversation, her concern and affection to Zooey, who then, after an even longer conversation with Franny, manages to gather from the haunted atmosphere of the apartment the crucial word of consolation. Franny, "as if all of what little or much wisdom there is in the world were suddenly hers," smiles at the ceiling and falls asleep.

read the entire review...

Puritan Poetry -- No Kidding!

Anne Bradstreet is one of America's first female writers. Her work is simple and accessible and this particular piece very illustrative of Puritan values and beliefs.

ON THE BURNING OF OUR HOUSE
by Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)

In silent night when rest I took
For sorrow near I did not look,
I wakened--'twas with thundering noise--
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
The fearful sound of fire and fire
Let no man know is my Desire.
I started up, the light did spy
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my distress
And not to leave me succorless.
Then coming out beheld a space
The flame consume my dwelling place,
And when I could no longer look
I blessed His Name who gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust
Yea so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was his own it was not mine
Far be it yet I should repine,
He might of All justly bereft,
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the Ruines oft I pass
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast
And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sat and long did lie,
Here stood that trunk, and there that chest
There lay that store I counted best
My pleasant things in ashes lie
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sit,
Nor at thy table eat a bit.
No pleasant tale shall 'ere be told
Nor things recounted done of old.
No candle 'ere shall shine in thee
Nor bridegroom's voice 'ere heard shall be.
In silence ever shalt thou lie
Adieu, adieu, all's vanity.
Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide,
And did thy wealth on Earth abide,
Didst fix thy hope on mouldering dust,
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly.
Thou hast a house on high erect,
Framed by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished
Stands permanent though this be fled.
It's purchased and paid for, too
By Him who hath Enough to do.
A prize so vast as is unknown
Yet by his Gift is made thine own.
There's wealth enough--I need no more,
Farewell my pelf, farewell my store.
The world no longer let me love
My hope, my treasure, lies above.

Puritans Made Things Painful (For Those who Broke the Rules)

Pillory stocks, used for public humiliation

As I mentioned in class, most of the punishments used by the Puritans of Massachusetts -- stocks, whippings, and hangings -- were public, with the punishment serving to shame the lawbreaker and remind the public that to disagree with the state's decisions is to disagree with God's laws and will. That being said, public punishment was not a product of the Puritan age, but it played a large part in the village life of the Massachusetts Bay colony. We'll see this up close when we study The Scarlet Letter next month.

For now, here are a few examples of public punishments in use during the late 17th century -- in both Massachusetts and in Europe.

The Shrew's Fiddle

The barrel pillory

Here's an excellent article on the subject from The Salem News, published in 2004:

Punishments in 17th-century Massachusetts were diverse, creative, and often cruel. They ranged from simple fines to maiming to burning at the stake, although the latter was never used in Essex County. Instead, locals convicted of murder, like Dorothy Talby of Salem who capped a career of deviant behavior by killing her daughter, met their respective ends on the gallows.

The pillory and stocks mentioned by Hawthorne, along with the whipping post, were fixtures in many local communities until they were outlawed in Massachusetts in 1813. The pillory could be a most uncomfortable instrument. The criminal's neck was placed in a stretched position in a hole between two pieces of hinged wood (in extreme cases, the offender's ears might be nailed to the pillory frame). Two smaller openings trapped the miscreant's hands, preventing him or her from warding off the rotten eggs or other foodstuffs thrown by onlookers.

Recommended: read whole article

Snapshot: A Separate Peace by John Knowles

A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, begins as a story of innocent boys at a summer boarding school in New England and ends as a tale bigger than war and almost as deep as evil itself.

The story is set mainly at Devon, a beautiful, heavily-wooded boarding school in a quiet seashore town. Taking place in the 1940's, war has just begun to take hold of the school in its summer months. Gene, the mild-mannered, introverted narrator, is befriended by Phineas, his opposite. Outgoing, honest, popular, and athletic, Phineas is the star of school that summer. Both boys are seniors, just ripening to be drafted. But after an unfortunate "accident," the summer ends with a shock and Gene is thrown into adulthood with optimistic Phineas left as the victim.

The story that comes from the events of that summer is thick with grief, with potent images and strikingly diverse characters who all struggle within themselves to live in a world where boys like them are taken daily to war. The book itself is not amazing because of its storyline, but because of the remarkable character development which paints an entirely new picture of a world at war, and how this world can invade the quiet lives of innocent New England boys.

Much of this character development is derived from the active tension between Phineas and Gene. Both highly competitive, much of the book is the inner struggle for Gene to accept that Phineas is not out to hurt anyone. The novel reads very quickly, not simply because of its short length but also due to the rising and falling of Gene's inner psyche unfolding onto the page. This inner struggle is known only to Gene, and as his one greatest secret comes to light, that struggle is projected outward and into brutal boys in a hard, war-bound world.

read full review...

Goody Glover Day?

Remember Goody Glover, the Irish washerwoman who was hanged for witchcraft in the Goodwin affair recounted by Cotton Mather? It seems that Cotton Mather's account of the Goodwin children's afflictions and possessions is in dispute -- by the Boston City Council. On November 16, 1988 the Boston City Council recognized "the injustice done to Ann Glover 300 years earlier," and proclaimed that day “Goody Glover Day”, condemning what had been done to her.

Modern day Bostonians claim that Glover was a victim of anti-Catholic persecution:

The last woman to be hanged in Boston as a witch was Goodwife “Goody” Ann Glover, an Irish laundress. This North End resident was wildly accused in 1688 of practicing witchcraft by the infamous Reverend Coton Mather, pastor of the old North Church. Her Puritan accusers were caught up in a witch mania that was part of the rigid Puritanism of the time, attaching supernatural causes to things they couldn't explain, especially medical conditions.

Glover was an Irish slave, sold to the Barbados by Englishman Oliver Cromwell, during the occupation of Ireland in the 1650s. Persecuted for his own religious beliefs, her husband died there. By 1680 she and her daughter were settled in Boston, employed as housekeepers by John Goodwin. In the summer of 1688, four of the five Goodwin children fell ill. Their doctor concluded "nothing but a hellish Witchcraft could be the origin of these maladies." Martha, the 13-year-old daughter, confirmed the doctor's diagnosis by claiming she became ill right after an argument with Glover.

Glover was arrested and tried as a witch. In the courtroom there was confusion over Glover's testimony, since she refused to speak English, even though she knew the language. According to Mather, "the court could have no answers from her, but in the Irish, which was her native language." The court convicted Glover of witchcraft and sentenced her to be hanged.”

Robert Calef, a Boston merchant who knew her, says "Goody Glover was a despised, crazy, poor old woman, an Irish Catholick who was tried for afflicting the Goodwin children. Her behaviour at her trial was like that of one distracted. They did her cruel. The proof against her was wholly deficient. The jury brought her guilty. She was hung. She died a Catholick."

Author James B. Cullen wrote, "she was drawn in a cart, a hated and dreaded figure, chief in importance, stared at and mocked at, through the principal streets from her prison to the gallows….The people crowded to see the end, as always; and when it was over they quietly dispersed, leaving the worn-out body hanging as a terror to evil-doers."

During the trial Coton Mather called Glover "a scandalous old Irishwoman, very poor, a Roman Catholick and obstinate in idolatry." A decade after Glover was hanged Mather was still preaching against "idolatrous Roman Catholicks," trying to preserve a parochial society in a world that was quickly changing. Many other Irish immigrants came to America as bond slaves or "redemptioners" and were not as steadfast in their Faith as Goody Glover, and drifted into Protestantism.

read full entry

Horrid Bushes of Vanity

Increase Mather (left) and Cotton Mather (right) disagreed on wigs.

Soulofdiscretion asked if anyone has yet discovered whether the wild hairdo from Cotton Mather's is his own or a wig. Reading through "A History of Wigs" I came across an entry regarding 17th century Puritan views on the subject claiming that the Puritans believed that wigs were "horrid bushes of vanity." In fact, Cotton Mather's father (Increase Mather) is credited with coining this phrase. Yet it seems that Cotton, perhaps on account of his Christian name, rebelled against his father's parochial view on men's wig fashion. Excerpt:

The seventeenth century was one of dramatic change for men. Though the Puritan Parliament faction (called “Roundheads” for their short, somber haircuts) railed against wigs, and some Puritan pastors even refused to allow anyone wearing a wig into the church, this century saw the widespread use of wigs for men for the first time since the days of the ancient Egyptians... In the New World, despite protests from Puritan ministers such as Increase Mather (President of Harvard University), the wig craze spread. While Mather argued that wigs were “horrid bushes of vanity,” his son Cotton and many clergy adopted the fashion. Wigs were also popular in the South, and wealthy plantation owners and bricklayers alike wore them. Even slaves who could not afford authentic wigs made wigs from cotton wool and goat hair.

There you have it. Mystery solved. Cotton Mather ushered in the "wig craze" for Puritan ministers. Now, just for trivia's sake, did you know that King Louis XIII's baldness was the reason for the wearing of powdered white wigs so popular with America's founding fathers:

French King Louis XIII wore a wig to conceal his baldness, and when French King Louis XIV’s hair started to thin when he was 35, he shaved his head and wore a large wig. As a compliment to the Sun King, all his courtiers began to wear yellow wigs. Later, in old age, Louis wore an enormous wig, thickly covered with perfumed and white powder. Men and women (who were more likely to wear extensions), both old and young began to copy him as looking old became “in.”

read full entry...

Crucible: Flying Betty Scene

Winona Ryder as Abigail

Here's a clip from the movie adaptation of The Crucible. It dramatizes the scene we read today on pages 18-19 between Abigail, Mary Warren, Mercy, and flying Betty. Winona Ryder's performance of Abigail quite captures the girl's more despicable qualities. Cleopatra and Gabby can correct me, but it seems the girls' dress is on the too colorful side. I believe they were in reality more drab.

WATCH: View the three-minute film clip on Youtube

Book Review: The Wonder of Wiffling

Did you know that one who makes umbrellas is called a mushfaker? If not, read on. Here's a review from the Irish Independent of The Wonder of Wiffling:

...a new book offers rich pastures for even those with the gift of the gab. In its pages, office underlings can find fresh terms of abuse for their overlords, disgruntled husbands will discover new words to describe the mother-in-law and the wag in the pub need never be silenced again.

There are gems such as a seagull used to describe the kind of manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps over everything and then leaves, or a shubie, one of those sorry souls who buys all the latest surfing gear but doesn't surf.

The Wonder of Whiffling, which is published today, takes readers on a delightful tour of the extraordinary words in the English language, from ancient and now disused words to trailer park slang. Its chapters include rarely used terms such crambazzled -- to be aged prematurely through drink -- to words we have sadly lost from everyday use such as mushfaker -- someone who repairs umbrellas -- and stadge -- the date of issue stamped on a coin....

The book helps to keep wordsmiths up-to-date with the latest editions to the language, such as ham, used to describe legitimate email, as opposed to spam and popular textonyms, the name given to predictive text software coming up with the wrong word, such as 'book for cool', 'carnage for barmaid' and 'poisoned for Smirnoff'.

Read on...

Usage Tip: Historic vs. Historical

Lee's surrender at Appomattox -- historic or historical?

Recent events have made us very conscious of the fact that we are making history. But are we witnessing historic events or historical events?

My Associated Press Stylebook offers a very simple answer: “A historic event is an important occurrence, one that stands out in history. Any occurrence in the past is a historical event.”

The surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox is a historic event.

What people were doing around the courthouse may be of some historical interest.

One source I found offers a helpful mnemonic device: “it ‘al’ happened in the past.” (By the way, a mnemonic device is one that aids the memory.)

Who Was Cotton Mather?

Mather's Old North Church, Boston

From University of Missouri:

Cotton Mather, the minister of Boston's Old North church, was a true believer in witchcraft. In 1688, he had investigated the strange behavior of four children of a Boston mason named John Goodwin. The children had been complaining of sudden pains and crying out together in chorus. He concluded that witchcraft, specifically that practiced by an Irish washerwoman named Mary Glover, was responsible for the children's problems. He presented his findings and conclusions in one of the best known of his 382 works, "Memorable Providences." Mather's experience caused him to vow that to "never use but one grain of patience with any man that shall go to impose upon me a Denial of Devils, or of Witches."

Mather's Old North Church, interior

As it happened, three of the five judges appointed to the court of oyer and terminer that would hear the Salem witchcraft trials were friends of Mather and members of his church. Mather wrote a letter to one of the three judges, John Richards, suggesting how they might approach evidentiary issues at the upcoming trials. In particular, Mather urged the judges to consider spectral evidence, giving it such weight as"it will bear," and to consider the confessions of witches the best evidence of all. As the trials progressed, and growing numbers of person confessed to being witches, Mather became firmly convinced that "an Army of Devils is horribly broke in upon the place which is our center."

read on...

Salem Witch Trials -- Resouces

Map of Salem, 1692

In preparation for reading and studying Arthur Miller's Crucible, you'll be researching an assigned topic pertaining either to Miller, Puritanism, Witchcraft trials, 17th century New England, or McCarthyism. You may find the following sites helpful:

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive
Includes historical maps, trial transcripts, original trial documents, biographies of notable people, etc.

Famous American Trials, Salem 1692
Includes loads of documents about the accusations, the trials, and the evidence as well as extensive background information about Salem and a history of witchcraft persecutions prior to Salem

The Cotton Mather Home Page
About all things Cotton Mather -- writings, biographies, pictures

Fire and Ice: On Puritanism
Puritan writings, history, and biographies