October 27, 2008

I think these books will pair together qauite well, though they represent very different methodologies and purposes. And I hope the inclusion of them illuminates the structure of the course more clearly. We;ve spent about a month studying the the physical shape and nature of the New England Village as it evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries. We're now going to look at how the physical reality of the village creates and shapes the village's society and culture

. We’ll look at this through Karen Hansen’s book. How did men and women in New England Villages relate to each other? What were the typical institutions through which they interacted? Here, we’ll look at everything from the role of the Church to the role of the Picnic.

Simultaneously we'll start to delve into Samuel Drake’s, New England Legends and Folklore.. This book is very different from the rest in that it is a collection of works of the imagination–folk tales, legends, poems, and the like, recorded when New England was much closer in character to its origins than perhaps it is now. These 19th century tellings of tales reaching back into the 18th century and beyond, would have been quite familiar to the men and women Karen Hansen presents to us.Folk literature unlike High literature, is also a product of geography and local culture.. You’ll notice that Drake organizes his book geographically.

Read, in Hansen, A Very Social Time

Acknowledgments, Author's Note, pp. xi-xv

Chapter I. Making the Social Central, an Introduction pp. 1-28

Take some time to look at the illustrations, gathered together following p. 112.

APPENDIX A: Sources of Evidence pp. 171 - 182

The Acknowledgments and Author's Note will explain the author's interests and methodology, including the editorial process (remember we considered this in the case of William Wood's book as edited by Alden Vaughn).

Chapter One suggests that while we normally divide human activity in to private and public spheres, there are actually three spheres, rather than just two. We need to consider the social sphere apart from the public and private. Make sure that you understand how Ms. Hansen defines these. The key section begins on p. 7.

When you look at the illustrations, try to develop both empathy with and curiosity about the subjects posing for them.

The Appendix is especially usful for its discussion of the practical usefulness of diaries, letters, and the like. Hansen does a special service for discussing the difference between the kinds of diaries and letters the intelligentsia write and the kinds of diaries and letters (and autobiorgraphies) ordinary people write. I think you'll see how she came to love the persons about which she wrote.

If you have some time, and I hope you do, take a look at some of the pictures of ordinary people in the 1930s and 1940s...like the children picking potatoes I've posed in the corner.

Here's another example. The caption reads "Mrs. Frank Robbins and her children, who live in trailer near United Aircraft where her husband works nights. East Hartford, Connecticut ."

The picture links to the Library of Congress Collection. The index to New England pictures is available on Blackboard under Documents

Read, in Hansen, A Very Social Time

Chapter II. "I Never Forget What I Remember" pp. 29 - 51

Chapter Two continues the methodological concerns which began in Chapter I. The first two pages present the questions Hansen wishes to raise and the reasons why she wishes to raise them. The chapter also presents the groups upon which Hansen will focus. The last section of the chapter is interesting both for the introduction it gives to a number of persons whose stories are at the core of this study and for the way Hansen shares her initial reaction to the persons she encounters as she reads through the diaries and autobiographies which form her principal sources. This is another of the rare scholarly books in which the author does not adopt a position of anonymity throughout the investigation. I think you may enjoy watching Hansen's mind at work.

Authorities

Accusers

Accused

Confessed and Accused Others

Executed

Died in Prison

Lydia Dustin | Ann Foster | Sarah Osborn | Roger Toothaker

Died During Interrogation

Giles Corey

With all the Hullabaloo surrounding Halloween, and the opportunities on campus to be "terrified", it might be a good idea to reflect a little on Witches and Witchcraft in Colonial New England. The Postcard above dates to 1882--the Bicentennial of the Witchcraft Hysteria in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Today, Salem makes a tidy sum of money from witchcraft tourism, and even has an "official" town witch. So it might be a worthy act to meditate a little on the names below during "trick or treat" season. But I guess it is better to joke about witches than to hang persons accused of being the same. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Linked to the button above is a table of contents for our book of folk tales and legends. I want our study of them to be "audience participation". In other words, I want each of you to be responsible for presenting at least one of the story groups to the class. This doesn't have to be anything very elaborate, read the poem or stories or paraphrase them (hand gestures encouraged but optional), and then speck a minute or so about what the tale suggests to you about New England. To get this started, I'm asking you to list your first, second, third, and fourth choices on the sheet, and turn it in Monday, October 27. I will do my best to give everyone his/her first choices If everyone is on the ball about this I'll announce the results Halloween.