New Directions

I’ve recently decided to change the direction of this site. While I originally intended for it to be a productivity blog, I soon realized that I didn’t really have the interest to maintain that sort of research and attention to the productivity world, and I started to ask people if they wanted to contribute to various topics. I think this worked ok, but I didn’t get a huge response from people that they were interested in this, so I again decided that this wasn’t really going anywhere. While I’d still like to keep this site open to people who want to contribute on various topics, I’m also going to migrate some of my writing and poetry as well as some various personal blog stuff over from one of my other sites. As a part of my new direction for the site, I’m also going to include embedded AudioBoo audio clips for some of my writing so that people can hear me recite my poetry and read some of my stories, etc. My intro boo is below.

History – The Key Changes of The Industrial Revolution of Great Britain

Critically discuss the impact of the key changes associated with industrialisation

The Industrial Revolution is arguably one of the most significant periods in British history. The social, economic and political changes which occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries transformed aspects of Britain for years to come. While debate remains about the reasons which initiated industrialisation, when it occurred, whether it benefited the workers of the period and whether it should be considered a revolution at all, it is possible to single out some changes within the period which contributed to the process and greatly changed the social and economic dynamic of the nation. It is the aim of this essay to explore inland transport and the Agricultural Revolution as two of these key changes and discuss the impact they had upon society.
Life in pre-industrial Britain was mainly rural, with little chance of travel between areas. The idea of traveling would have been considered not only in terms of sheer time and monetary cost, but also in terms of the danger undertaken in journey on a largely neglected network of roads. Since the mid 16th century, road maintenance had been under local control, often carried out by unskilled workers for no pay. However, economic pressure to improve the condition of roads increased and as a result of this new demand, changes were made to road management. The start of these changes happened in 1663 in the form of the first Turnpike Act. Over the evolution of these acts, roads were brought into control of trustees who were given the power to put up toll stations. By the 1830’s, Turnpike Acts had collective control over 22,000 miles of road, but critics point out that the trustees appointed over these roads did not always put the tolls to use in improving road conditions (May, 1996, pp 43-44). It seems that improvement of these roads was not automatic:

Whether the turnpike trusts would effect an improvement to the roads depended on their administration and upon their success or failure in attracting sound road engineers. It is difficult to generalise about the trusts. Some were notorious for the inept and sometimes fraudulent manner in which they carried out their appointed tasks. Others made a conscious effort to maintain and improve their roads as economically as possible (May, 1996, p.44).

Nevertheless, total road expenditure increased, developing the skill of new civil engineers. When these skills were finally coupled with substantial investment, some of these turnpike trusts were combined to create a substantial stretches of road (May, 1996, pp 43-45).
Although these improvements did allow for greater quantities of goods to be moved around the country, the changes still did not allow for mass transport of goods. In response to high demand for a low cost, high yield goods transport system, landowners and entrepreneurs fronted money for the creation of canals. These canals quickly became recognised for their potential, driving down costs of transport as well as goods themselves. Construction of thousands of miles of canals continued through the period of industrialisation, and while this did create employment, May points out that:

The full benefit of improvements was not passed on to the public, nor were the long-term interests of the companies themselves served. Avarice for short-term gain was short-sighted, for reinvestment in improving their service would have placed canals in a far better position to face the railways. (May, 1996, p.48)

This meant that the canal network remained disconnected and disjointed. Nevertheless, it seems that canals reached their highest volume after railways appeared. Eventually, though, this died off as railways were formed into larger management groups and efforts were made by rail companies to cut journey tolls. These efforts were not matched by canal companies, their primary concerns being that of profit rather than a national network.
Improved inland transport opened up the country to cheaper travel as well as financial endeavours. Previously unprofitable ventures became profitable due to decreased transport costs, yet greater social effects were complicated. Workers were often forced to look for new work if their area was plagued by high cost production, sometimes ending in low employment and human migration (Mathias, 1983, p.97).
Meanwhile, agriculture benefited from the new inland transport. Before this period, farming consisted mainly of subsistence farming as people in rural areas grew in small strips of land to provide for themselves and their families. Agricultural changes were traditionally credited to public figures such as Jethro Tull and Lord Townshend (Prothero, 1936), but the reality is probably far more complex. While mechanisation through inventions such as the seed drill and threshing machine would eventually prove to be important to agricultural practice, inventors often had difficulty using these inventions productively on their own farms due to poor construction and unwilling workers. While turnips did play a role in important crop rotations which reintroduced nitrogen to the soil, the ideas may have been adapted or learned from foreign travels. Overall, the credit for the application of these changes was probably exaggerated and subsequently accepted as fact by traditional historians (Overton, 2009). Selective breeding of livestock at the time helped to create animals which yielded highly in desired products. Another important aspect to consider was the choice of crops. Some crops were more successful in certain areas, and some failed under certain rotations. It was also the case that due to imports and changing demands, certain crops decreased in value rapidly, leaving farmers suffering (Mathias, 1983, p.314). Also important to note in the role of increasing agricultural yield were the Enclosure Acts, which forced subsistence farming and traditional grazing off the land, forging large fields which were in turn farmed using intensive new techniques. It is important to realise that while enclosure may have increased production and fed more people, it also created rural poor by removing farming rights. These people became dependant on the Poor Laws or often migrated to the cities to work in factories. Some historians also point out that enclosure was not widespread, as family farms were still to be seen found in many parts of the country (Mathias, 1983, p.311).
Obfuscating the historical details are the political and ideological motivations of authors of primary and secondary texts. Authors such as Defoe and Young toured the countryside during industrialisation, but often missed vast parts of the nation and were motivated by politics and money (A Vision of Britain through Time, no date). Traditional historians often worked from an incomplete set of evidence and accepted biased primary sources (Mathias, 1983, p.314). In turn, modern economic historians such as Mathias are less concerned with the social impact of historical events and face the same challenges in attaining reliable sources.
While industrialisation certainly changed Britain, its changes are complex and multifaceted. Inland transport and the Agricultural Revolution fed into one another, the demand for one increasing expenditure in another. Instead of making blanket statements about these changes, it is important to remember that poor communication made understanding the nation as a whole difficult and that vested interests would dictate views. The history is complex, one group benefiting from changes while others suffered. Inland transport and the Agricultural Revolution played a vital part in this, forging changes in Britain which are still visible today.

1070 words

Bibliography

A Vision of Britain through Time (no date). [online] Available from: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/travellers/index.jsp (Accessed: 11 November 2009).

Mathias, P. (1983) The First Industrial Nation: The Economic History of Britain 1700-1914. 2nd edition. London and New York: Routledge.

May, T. (1996) An Economic and Social History of Britain, 1760-1990. 2nd edition. Longman.

Overton, M. (2009) BBC History – British History in depth: Agricultural Revolution in England 1500 – 1850. [online] Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/agricultural_revolution_01.shtml (Accessed: 10 November 2009).

Prothero, R.E. (1936) English Farming: Chapter VII. [online] Available from: http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010136ernle/010136ch7.htm (Accessed: 11 November 2009).

English – Close Reading of a Passage of Hard Times

Book Two, Chapter 6 – ‘Fading Away’

This passage occurs towards the middle of Book Two, Chapter Six of Dickens’ novel Hard Times. The chapter name ‘Fading Away’ can be associated with the slow, drawn out decline in the fortunes of the characters, as they become victims of the utilitarian system which pervades the plot. This imagery captures the almost cruel nature of the decline, as if it may have been better for the characters had they just fallen quickly. The passage itself falls within an important, plot heavy portion of the novel. Following Stephen Blackpool’s dismissal from Mr. Bounderby’s employ, Tom and Louisa visit his home as he finishes tea with Mrs. Pegler and Rachael. The narrative centres on Louisa as she enters Stephen’s room.
The first thing of note in this passage is the heavy use of anaphora. We see the repetition of the words ‘for the first time’ in the first sentence, and then repetition of the words ‘she knew’ following throughout the first paragraph. This choice of words is interesting, given that the juxtaposition of these two phrases raises a stark contrast. On one hand, we are told that Louisa has had no real first hand encounters with a large population of Coketown; on the other hand, she was raised in a philosophical system of fact which has given her a great amount of statistics and knowledge pertaining to the Hands’ work. This is an example of a continuing theme throughout the novel in which Dickens undermines the utilitarian philosophy by portraying the knowledge of the characters as too abstract and lacking in both real world practicality and joy.
Louisa’s education has only taught her to study life from a purely fact based scientific and mathematical approach, and this is indicated by the use of mathematical lexis. Louisa is said to have known of the existence of the Hands ‘by hundreds and thousands’ and thinks of them in terms of what results they could produce ‘in a given space of time’. This tone of study is continued in a scientific manner as the Hands are likened to ants or beetles in their movements; yet the final sentence of the first paragraph seems to admit the lack in Louisa’s depth of knowledge, stating that ‘she knew infinitely more’ about insects than about the Hands. The sentence starts with the word ‘but’ which immediately casts doubt upon all that which has previously been written. It almost seems that we may be getting access to Louisa’s own thoughts in an example of free indirect speech, and that she could be aware of this void in her education. This is an integral part of Louisa’s character, and we have seen throughout the text her awareness of a sort of loss starting as early as Book One, Chapter Eight, during which she speaks with Tom regarding her lack of knowledge in things such as other girls would have known (Dickens, 1989 p.67). When looking back upon this first section, it could be said that the use of ‘she knew’ could be intended as irony, alluding to the fact that what Louisa doesn’t know about the Hands is far more vast than the few statistics and facts she does know.
The second paragraph only contains two sentences. The first sentence is very long and is characterised again with anaphora. This time, we get the repetition of the word ‘something’ in connection with the Hands. Interspersed amongst these words we can again find the lexis of utilitarianism. Throughout this paragraph, the Hands are likened to commodities to be bought and sold, tools to be used in pursuit of monetary gain and statistics on crime, pauperism and birth rate. The pervading theme here is an inexorable, driving portrayal of these people as things rather than individual people, reinforced by the constant use of ‘something’ at the beginning of each assertion. There is also condescension here. The imagery involved in the words ‘blundered’ and ‘floundered’ in reference to the whole population evokes ideas of some innate incapability in them. The assertion that the Hands were ‘pinched’ during times of wheat shortage and ‘over-ate’ themselves when there was a wheat surplus also suggests some sort of gross lack of planning. This sort of language coupled with the association of the Hands with negative statistics and their rising like a sea to do ‘harm and waste’ in what can only be interpreted as rioting or protests seems to go beyond fact and into a sort of blanket malevolence. In this way, Dickens suggests that this system of utilitarianism has no room for those outside its ranks. While Louisa has been taught statistics on the Hands, she has also been taught to see them in a negative manner, as if all of those outside of the philosophy of fact are doing damage to the world. At the end of this paragraph just as in the previous, however, there is another example of doubt in the narrative voice. Again, this sentence starts with the word ‘but’ which casts doubt on the utilitarian view of things which came before. We are told that Louisa had never thought of separating the Hands into units, likening the idea to ‘separating the sea itself into its component drops’. This is a powerful use of imagery and it gives us insight into the sort of mind Louisa has. She has until now only seen the Hands as a vast unified mass to be used, observed, and recorded with a touch of disapproval and the idea of knowing and relating to an individual within that vast group was an entirely new concept to her.
As this passage closes, we leave the world of utilitarianism, as if waking from a dream. Louisa stands observing the two women, Stephen, and Stephen’s meagre belongings. Repetition of the word ‘few’ in reference to Stephen’s books and chairs coupled with the use of the word ‘common’ in reference to his prints finally highlights the humble humanity in this setting. Louisa is brought face to face with an individual with his own life, his own belongings and his own identity.
In closing, this passage appears to draw upon a sophisticated arsenal of literary tools in order to reinforce Dickens’ theme of the innate lack in the philosophy of utilitarianism. By revisiting the lexis of Louisa’s education while introducing small, cleverly placed doses of doubt in the narrative and using setting as a reflection of humanity, Dickens unravels Louisa’s sheltered world and throws her into the real one. This theft of her once solid ideology prepares the reader for events still to come.

1094 words

Bibliography

Dickens, C. (1989) Hard Times (Oxford World’s Classics). New York: Oxford University Press.

Forster, E.M. (1976) Aspects of the Novel (Penguin Classics). London: Penguin Books.

Lodge, D. (1992) The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts. London: Penguin Books.

May, T. (1996) An Economic and Social History of Britain, 1760-1990. 2nd edition. Longman.

McEwan, N. (2000) “Hard Times” (York Notes Advanced). 2nd edition. Longman.

The Victorian Web (no date). [online] Available from: http://www.victorianweb.org/ (Accessed: 9 November 2009).

Cultural Studies – Conflicting Attitudes to Class in 1950s Britain

How does your chosen text illustrate conflicting attitudes to class?

Documentary films of the Free Cinema movement such as We Are the Lambeth Boys (Reisz, 1959) can offer us a view into facets of society within 1950’s Britain and an ideal viewpoint from which we can study the changing and conflicting attitudes to class within the period. Reisz’s creation seems to epitomise the Free Cinema movement’s ‘sympathetic interest in communities’ (Hillier and Lovell cited in Lay, 2002, pp 58-59) as we are ushered into the everyday lives of normal members of the Teddy Boy subculture which was so often in contention with earlier generations and mainstream society. The film seeks to represent to wider society an antithesis to the threatening portrayal of Teddy Boys as folk devils by the hegemonic influence of the media. This essay aims to investigate the extent to which this was successful and illuminate the methods used within the film in neutralising conflict in culture.
We Are the Lambeth Boys documents the phenomenon of one of the first groups of rebellious teenagers which was played out on the stage of 1950’s Britain and attempts to remove the threat from this new subculture by sophisticated means. Rather than the now common rebellion we see against previous generations, Cohen suggests that the Teddy Boys may have been different:

… the first murmurings of separation later to be expressed so explicitly and vehemently … came with the Teddy Boys. They were the first group whose style was self-created, although they were reacting not so much against ‘adults’ but the little that was offered in the fifties … (Cohen, 1972, p.183).

The Teddy Boys came on the scene in the early 1950’s to general public alarm, donning the Edwardian clothing which had previously been associated with the upper and middle classes and modifying it as they saw fit (May, 1996, p.444). They coupled this new fashion with a love of imported American culture, especially music, hairstyles and the assumed demeanour of Hollywood film characters. This new type of teenager featured heavily in the media and in the minds of an alarmed public, and the film seems to approach these issues in a manner intended to diminish that alarm. In one particularly moving scene, we find a number of the Teddy Boys starting out their school day in prayer and singing hymns. As the hymn is performed, the film continues on to a powerful sequence of shots of the Teddy Boys and Girls in traditional working class jobs. The use of intra-diegetic sound is evident here, as the hymn forms a powerful soundtrack to the working teens. It seems to project Christian values upon the children and suggests a link between their school and working lives. This is helped by the use of mise-en-scene. We see one particular girl working in a factory as she assembles food on a conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt could be seen as symbolic of the larger conveyor belt of school, work and marriage. This use of sound and symbolism to project a concept or idea upon a group of people can be compared to the methods in O Dreamland (Anderson, 1953). Anderson’s use of the intra-diegetic laughing puppet sounds and the mise-en-scene imagery of the working class behind bars is very similar in technique to Reisz but can be contrasted heavily in its intention. While Reisz seeks to eliminate the threat from his subjects by making them more accessible and human to wider society, Anderson is making a statement about disappointment and horror in the working class as they fall into the hegemonic trap of a meaningless seaside diversion. We Are the Lambeth Boys continues to offer us a pious and hardworking portrayal of its subjects as we catch a glimpse of a cross around the neck of a teen postal worker and as the film dissolves from an image of schoolboys in rows into rows of keys on a typewriter. These techniques can be seen to span the gap between this youth subculture and the rest of society, just as another key feature of this film is designed to do: the narrative.
We Are the Lambeth Boys features a non-diegetic narrator who is very different in sound to the subjects of the documentary. Judging by his accent and style of speech along with some of the comments he makes, we can ascertain that he is an outsider from the Teddy Boy group and is probably part of the middle or upper classes. He has a complex role in the film, translating the speech and actions of the teens as well as filling in valuable background information. One of his most important roles is in connecting the Teddy Boys with larger society and removing their perceived threat. One example of this during the school and work scene is when he describes the sort of work one of the girls does and informs us that she will continue working until she marries. This integration of the teens with traditional ideals of British society is important in banishing the folk devil perception and granting access to the film’s subjects in a more basic human manner. It could be argued that in some cases the narration takes on a tone of condescension toward the subjects of the film, making light of their desires, interests or opinions. While this could be true, it could also be a way of connecting to an outside audience who would undoubtedly be perplexed by and unused to these teens. As such, we could see it more as a method of making sense of the confusing rather than an attitude of direct superiority. Nevertheless, it is the narrator of this film who drives it forward, makes sense of the visual information and provides for us and viewers at the time the majority of the information needed in order to form an opinion about the Teddy Boys and Girls.
In conclusion, we can see that similar to many of the documentary films of the 1950’s, We Are the Lambeth Boys conveys both complicated and conflicting images of class within the period. Reisz clearly aims to give wider culture a view into the humanity behind the demonised image of the Teddy Boy subculture and illustrate the intentions and abilities of the subjects to integrate their new forms of expression into the traditional ideology of work and married life. The use of intra-diegetic sound, the mise-en-scene and dissolves within the film form and the style of narration suggest wider conflict within the culture and a sophisticated attempt on the part of the director to utilise hegemonic style to project popular ideology onto a subculture which was much maligned by the mainstream media.

1055 words

Bibliography

Bedarida, F. (1991) A Social History of England, 1851-1990. 2nd edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Cohen, S. (1980) Folk Devils and Moral Panics: Creation of Mods and Rockers. 2nd edition. Oxford: Martin Robertson.

Lay, S. (2002) British Social Realism: From Documentary to Brit Grit. London and New York: Wallflower Press.

O Dreamland. (1956) Directed by Anderson, L. [online] Available from: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/media/stream.jsp?id=779292 (Accessed: 11 November 2009)

May, T. (1996) An Economic and Social History of Britain, 1760-1990. 2nd edition. Longman.

Storey, J. (2006) Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction. 4th edition. Harlow: Pearsons.

We Are the Lambeth Boys. (1959) Directed by Reisz, K. [online] Available from: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/media/stream.jsp?id=1192653 (Accessed: 11 November 2009)

Personal Statement

I have always been enthralled by the power of stories. Starting many years ago with my father’s simple bedtime tales, my interest continued to grow and I became a voracious reader. The power of the writer to create believable, identifiable worlds and characters within the imagination is something which never ceases to amaze me. As a result of this abiding passion, I decided several years ago that I wanted to learn about the literary concepts which bring stories to life.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my start in the study of English Literature as a part of my Access course at City College Norwich and have taken up The Art of Fiction by David Lodge and Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster, both of which have furthered my understanding of literary terms and theory as well as improved my writing. I am particularly interested in the concept of round and flat characters and the ways in which authors can use them effectively. This interest has been further piqued by my recent study of Hard Times by Charles Dickens, as Dickens tended to make heavy use of flat caricatured characters but still managed to convey in them an ineffable human quality.

When I came to this country, I was captivated by the depth of history and culture which pervaded everything around me. As I further investigated my interest in English Literature, I came to understand that it is inextricable from the influence of that history and culture. For this reason, I chose the subjects of History and Cultural Studies when I enrolled in the Access course at City College, and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about subjects such as Class in 1950’s Britain and The Industrial Revolution. I believe that having a cultural and historical context from which I can approach literature will further my understanding of important concepts.

I love participating in events which promote the arts, including book clubs, writing/poetry groups and competitions. I have volunteered my services as a judge for several Poetry Slam events and enjoy writing short stories, poems, comedy and essays. I write a popular web comic and am working on a novel which I hope to complete after higher education. I read often, ranging from subjects such as philosophy and religion to modern fiction, fantasy and classic fiction. I have been lucky enough to enjoy studying several of Shakespeare’s plays, namely Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and The Taming of The Shrew. I particularly enjoy Victorian era literature, especially A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and the short stories of Oscar Wilde.

I gained many important skills during my service in the US military. Self discipline, a strong work ethic and good organizational skills were necessary in order to complete my duties. I learned to work as part of a team, gaining valuable interpersonal skills. I participated in volunteer activities such as Habitat for Humanity and worked in environmental cleanup operations. My strength with written and spoken language saw my success in Airman Leadership School, earning me the Distinguished Graduate and Academic Achievement awards and securing my subsequent promotion to Staff Sergeant. This academic achievement was mirrored in my attainment of the coveted CISSP IT certification. Whether I was writing technical manuals, correspondence, performance reports or presentations, I came to understand the role that the written word plays in the operation of any organization. My ability to see the big picture in my detailed work was recognized by the US Air Force and I was awarded with the Air Force Commendation Medal.

I look forward to applying my new skills to the study of my oldest love, Literature. I wish to use the knowledge attained in higher education to pursue a career in publishing or teaching while continuing to write. Given my passion for the subject and my demonstrated capacity for learning, I believe that I am well suited to study English Literature at degree level.

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