Oxford

On Thursday, June 5th we took a bus from London to Oxford, a place of major literary inspiration for British literature. Oxford was the home of Lewis Carroll, the pen name for Charles Dodgson, the author of the accclaimed children's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It wasn't hard to see why Oxford was a point of so much inspiration, since the gorgeous buildings of the Oxford universities and libraries radiated a vibe of intellectualism. It was easy to see that Oxford was a centre for academics, and that the intellectual took top priority. In the Introduction to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it is stated that Carroll wrote this story strictly to be entertainment for the young Liddell books. He warns the reader not to read too much into his writing, since there is nothing of substance there. It became clear to me when I was in Oxford that reading for entertainment is probably not something that many of the readers at the colleges were accustomed to. That makes the necessity of a book for children that is purely fun more essential than ever. Oxford is such an organized city, with the self-contained university campuses and the neat and tidy streets. That is why Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is such a strong juxtaposition in it's lack of structure, and connectedness. This chaos was probably not often found in Oxford, so Carroll took it upon himself to break the chains of conformity and write a work that still captivates readers today.

Day 7 - The Globe Theatre

Walking through the busy London streets the last thing you expect to see around the corner is a 16th century playhouse with a thatched roof and yet that's exactly what you get with the Globe. Although it is not the original Globe Theatre, the feeling and anticipation that is felt once you enter the theatre is the same as it was centuries ago. I felt that by going through the museum prior to sitting it really helped to set the general mood for the evening. I better understood the era during which the play originally showed and therefore could connect more to the original audience members.
Going to the Globe theatre helped me to better understand the time period in which Shakespeare wrote. I have a greater sense of appreciation for the groundlings (and Bryant, haha) who would stand the entire show. These people at the time of the original showings would most likely be illiterate. The show was difficult enough to follow at times even though I had read the play previously so I cannot imagine being an illiterate member of the lower class trying to watch the play. I think that although Shakespeare's themes are universal and many can still apply to today's world, many of the jokes and original language would have been easier to understand at the time that the play was written and originally performed. These things would be more commonplace and would help the audience to connect with the performance in a way that is lost on audiences today. I wish I could go back to see a performance in the original time period and watch how the audience reacted to the show, but seeing as how that is not possible, attending a performance at the Globe theatre today is the next best thing.
-Tish

Day 9: Visitation to Hardy's home.

We visited, briefly, the home of Thomas Hardy. It was located in a remote and rural area, far from the lifestyles and mentality of metropolitan peoples. Mrs. Barrington suggested I read Jude the Obscure due to it's rivaling pessimism and dauntless proposition about the inevitability of irrationality in the world. It is this ethos in him that causes his most beautiful works, I am sure; it is through his struggles, conflicts, and contempt, that he brilliantly composes his overcoming. In other words, he is victorious over his struggles by employing them creatively, in poetry and fictional works, through which he cognizes and thereupon subordinates his issues into an intelligible theme. For example, one variable I found operating within the location of Hardy's home and his novel Jude the Obscure was isolation. More precisely, within these two subjects one percieves the resentful isolating of oneself from society as a means of affirming ones existence. I am, of course, referring to how Jude, an active mind, is cruelly nurtured by the monotonous, uneventful, and decadent countenance of his home village. These entities, which are themselves continuous throughout various landscapes Jude explores, help explain Jude's idealistic reactions to the few comforting thoughts in his life; he is neurotically-ecstatic when small, hopeful ideas such as Christminster come to mind because they allow him a personal foreground upon which he can finally build and evolve his person. Thus, from a lack of individual feedback from the world, Jude isolated his mentality from reality in order to feel comfortable.
It would have been different, I think, if Jude was set in a city. Dostoevsky's Raskalnikov was set in a city, yet, he isolated himself not from lack of experience, but his surfeit with experiences. Jude's disposition, which was obscure to his home society and even wife, was so far removed from reality because it had little to offer him. Therefore, his idealistic and lofty mood towards life, which sets the foundation of his character in the book, was his shelter from the outside world. How coincidental that the location of Hardy's home should leave the same impression; that Hardy should retreat far from his enemies, and build his walls high, so as not to endure their clamor. Even so, I sense a recognition, both in Jude and the isolation of Hardy's home, of the outside world challenging the individual; just outside the walls of his ideals the screaming and pounding of reality is heard. As the walls crumble, so they must be laboriously rebuilt from the clay and rocks deep within. This, I feel, is the basis for the deconstruction of Jude inner sense of idealism.
Moreover, I do not think such perspicacious literature could be written without that deep sense of struggle endured by Hardy. I see it in his home, set far and in resentment of his enemies (i.e. industrialism, utilitarianism, expansionism, and other demiurges that had been revealed by Mrs. Barrington that day), and in Jude the Obscure. In short, a discrepancy between individual and reality is unanimous among Hardy and Jude.

Day 13~ The National Portrait Galley

Today, 6/04/08 we went to the National Portrait Gallery, and with the restoration topic on my mind from seeing in Westminster Abbey, I wondered why the restoration artists here did some of the things they did. For example, when I came to the Bronte sisters I was surprised to see the alteration that was made to the painting. There information on the side of the painting said that there was once a pillar in the middle but it was discovered that underneath it was a self portrait of Patrick Bronte. It seemed to me the restoration artists in this case did the opposite of their jobs and reversed the painting to reveal the missing self portrait of the Bronte sisters’ brother, who painted this particular painting. As my walk through the gallery continued I soon found that Virgina Woolf’s sister painted the portrait that was on display and so did Jane Austen sister Cassandra.
I was surprised that each of these female authors had a sibling that drew or painted their picture during their life period. I do have to say the sketch I was interested with the most was Jane Austen’s sketch. I was surprised to see it not finished and in a very tiny frame a special box to keep it safe. I was curious why it was not displayed as the other paintings were on the wall in the romantic era room. I was wondering if it was because it was so small or if it was because of the water color? Also I was able to use the IT catalogue while I was there and found out that there was three other portraits the gallery had and wanted to know why those were not out as well. What made the gallery put out the have finished sketch instead of the others? What was the criteria that determined the rotation for the portraits?
The sketch of Austen did make me think of Persuasion and with Austen in the same room as Wordsworth I thought about what each of them might say. It seemed Austen was very "camera" shy because there were not many pictures done of her where as Wordsworth there was quite a few. It seems that Austen might be horrified that her portrait was on display, because it seemed she was a private person. It is funny to think of Jane Austen as a shy person when reading some of her novels because they contain some very out going characters. It almost seems she was only outgoing in her novels and that was her outlet.
In the National Portrait Gallery I did not feel it was marketed as much of a tourist attraction as the National Gallery was and I wondered why that was the case. Was it because it just held portraits and not much else or was it because not everyone knows who the portraits are of so they are not as interested? I am not saying that I knew who everyone was but it was exciting to see the portraits on the wall of the authors we have spent our college careers learning about. So it leads back to the question should people be educated to go to the museums, and in this case I believe the answer is yes because, it would create more of an interest for people to go an see the museum.

Day 13 National Portrait Gallery

I really enjoyed our visit to the National Portrait Gallery today. You can tell a lot about a person from looking at their pictures. Of course it also helps if you have a brief synopsis accompanying it. I feel that this was a great assignment for us to complete as a class. Not only was it free of charge and therefore we had no excuse not to visit the gallery, but also because it had something for everyone. There were portraits of noteworthy poets, authors, historians, political figures, and royalty, among others. The parts of the museum I found to be most enjoyable were the displays they had on certain people, such as John Hanning Speke, Richard Burton, and David Livingston. I found it most interesting how these three people’s stories intertwined. While the first two explorers were trying to discover the source of the Nile River the final explorer attempted to disprove one’s theory. This topic was the greatest geographical mystery of the time. Speke felt he discovered the Nile’s source as Lake Victoria, yet on that same exploration, Burton was convinced that the source was another lake by the name of Tahganyika. These two men published competing accounts of their journey including how each came across their discovery. After this kafuffle, the two were scheduled to debate their findings publicly. However, Speke accidentally shot himself with his shotgun. Burton did not think this was an accident. What happened to Burton afterwards? David Livingston attempted to prove Speke’s theory to be correct, and Burton’s to be incorrect. He traveled with Henry Morton Stanley who was the one to complete the journey itself. Livingston died in the swamps of Africa, trying to settle the matter. I found it helpful that the National Portrait Gallery decided to put these three important men together in a display in order to tie their significance together. The first short write-up of the whole situation, or kafuffle, touched on all three, but it wasn’t until you read each individual piece that you were able to read their back-stories and understand how they all fit together. My only question is one that I do not think can be answered in this blog, but I will ask it anyway: What happened to Richard Burton after Speke died and the debate ended? Did he go on to do anything else noteworthy? I was unable to find any other information about him on the small cards next to the portraits. It would have been interesting to see what had happened to him in the end.

Day 4 - London - The Cheshire Cheese

When trying to figure out what point of interest inspired or intruiged me the most, one of the places that stood out in my mind was the Cheshire Cheese pub. From the moment we stepped into the pub, it felt like the pub itself was almost suspended in time. It was dark, with creeking and crooked floor, and crooked beams, and twisted hallways and rooms that make you wonder where it all ends. The atmosphere seems so genuine that I could actually imagine writers, poets, politicians, etc... walking through the alleyway that leads there and stepping into the Cheshire Cheese for a pint with the other locals. With many of the places we've been, I'll know that there is such a rich history in where I am, but it doesn't seem real. On this trip, I have walked in the footsteps of Kings and Queens, but this pub seems so much more sincere. It blew my mind that I could casually step into a pub hidden away in an alley and have a drink in an establishment that has been serving beer for longer than our entire country has existed. The setting is ageless. When I was there, I felt as if I had stepped into the Prancing Pony Inn from Lord of the Rings, or I felt like I would bump into a character from a Charles Dickens novel. This is such an inspiring place to me because though it has such a rich history, it has not been tainted by tourism and commercialism, it is a small, classic, and genuine pub.

Day 5 - The Lake District (Tish)

The North of England is the most beautiful place I have seen in England thus far. The rolling hills, the sheep and the lake all served as a perfect background for any piece of literature. It was a very serene setting and just the drive through seemed to calm my body and mind and bring me to a new place both spiritually and physically.
Although today included a large amount of sitting on a bus, I think that today was the day thus far that has effected me most profoundly. By visiting the home of the great poet, Wordsworth, I felt that I was better able to understand the Romantic Period in general. The Romantic Period is my favorite period of British Literature because of the connection to nature that is so present in many of the poems and novels of the time. I have always found that nature inspires me to write or even just to think more clearly. After looking at the view outside the window above Wordsworth's writing desk I thought about how inspirational that view was. I then decided to go out into the garden and look at a similar view to do some writing of my own. The beauty of the surroundings was so pure that I felt like an intruder. I felt as if no one else had quite had the same moment I was having and that I was sharing something very special with the poet who had once lived there. His poems as well as his home served as a great inspiration to me.
The driving, too, helped serve as a reminder of the period the works were written in. The location was very remote even by today's standards and that helped to keep the location less "tourist-y" than some of the other locations we have visited so far. This added to the purity of the setting and the bus ride home also allowed me time to reflect upon the experience.

the louve

Thousands and thousands of empty, mortal faces, admiring others that have never died. The Louve may possiblybe the worlds largest aragment of historical evidence that we do exist and have existed. it is a flavored shot of reassurence with a bitter after taste of mortality and truth. the louve is something that has lasted through the centuries with artifacts that have lasted even longer and as we pass through,we find ourselves rushing as we do through life in the eyes of one of these ancient artifacts. we pass with blank eyes staring at dead eyes and see our own faces in a crowd of people gathering around the only image that appears to still be able to see. This museum evokes and inspires the feelings in us that both sooth our quest for unaltering life and inspires our greatest fears that we may die before we are painted on a canvas or do something profound or even have children. this is humanities biggest plea for an existed and greatest attempt at achieving true immortality. the same immortality that Shakespeare knew he would achieve in his sonnets or Bronte knew she had achieved through Wuthering Heights, which is why she could finally die. in this place we can now be a part of history, we can feel it and touch it for a couple moments of our life and realize the kind of life that it takes. the louve gives people a taste of something meaningful and we know that we now have a connection with something that will live on far longer than the flesh that sits on our bones. it sits briefly and then fades the same way our memory of this place will fade. And now as the revolutions have begun to turn in all aspects of life turn around and as the dust fades and blends into everything else our handprint on the statue dissolves and is brushed into another. as we pass through the eyes of the louve we push past thousands and thousands of strangers whose eyes are far more alive than the ones on the wall and may be more immortal than what any painting can portray.
Would i learn more by staring into some of thier eyes?
or is is just to abstract to grasp, and is it always easier to stare at the wall?
the louve just seems to be a preserved mountain lake where people go to see their shadows and ignore their reflections when theyre there.
and in light of this it seems only fit that upon exiting the majestic Louve i found myself staring at a fountain, while standing in the rain....

Day 9 ~Winchester

On 5/31/08 we luckily had Paul to take us to Winchester, Dorest and Stonehenge. The Winchester Cathedral was quite beautiful, the architecture was amazing. It seemed to set a calming tone for the rest of our visit. As our walk continued in Winchester we arrived at Jane Austen's House. We were unable to visit inside of the house, because it was currently occupied, but we still received an idea of what the town meant to her. As we walked around the grounds of the cathedral it was nice to take a moment to enjoy the scenery and walk the same grounds that Austen once did. We were able to have the opportunity to see her were she spent her last days and heard a reading in the same garden she woke up to every morning.
With this said, it is easy to see why Austen was so compelled to write her novels with such detail about everything that surrounded her from the houses to the gardens and paths around the town. The passage that I read from Austen's Persuasion showed her attention to detail and demonstrated how she looked at her surroundings closely. She described the house of the Musgroves' with detail so the reader can picture the home as Austen did. While we were there I could not help but wonder did she include a house from the town of Winchester? Could we have walked right by a house she wrote about in her novel?
Winchester was also noticeably less of a tourist attraction as the other places we had visited, such as Wordsworth's home. It was also interesting to see that the home of Austen was lived in, instead of being used as a museum to attract more visitors to the town. If you continue to compare the sights we have seen so far, you will remember Austen also used the town of Bath in her novel Persuasion with great detail as well. My next thought is will the quiet town of Winchester become more of a tourist attraction as the years continue on once the current occupants of the house leave? Or will the town stand against it and let it remain the same?

Day 7: The Globe Theater

On Thursday 5/29/08 we visited the Globe Theater Exposition and attended a performance of King Lear. Unfortunately we didn't get much time to view the Shakespeare and Globe Theater exhibit, but just having the opportunity to sit in the Globe and watch a full performance was a unique experience. To sit anywhere in the Globe would be a treat, but the 27 pounds to sit in a nice balcony seat is always nice. I took a look at the box office to see how much a ticket is for standing room: only five pounds! This got me thinking about the old Globe Theater and the division between the commoners and the nobility. Of course, the sheltered balcony seats were reserved only for the rich and noble, while the common people were allowed the convenience of paying 1 pence for standing room. Although there seems to be no such thing as a clear division between classes, the Globe's prices certainly reflect the benefits of having a little extra money. Anyone can just walk in, purchase a five pound floor ticket, and enjoy a performance at last minute. It is a bit harder for the expensive balcony seats, which usually need a reservation and require over five times as much money as a standard standing ticket.
With that observation being said, I'd like to mention a few things about the performance that deserve some noting. It is commonly known that Shakespeare's plays, be it comedy or tragedy, have elements of the opposite genre. For instance, King Lear is a tragedy, but features many comical aspects. This production certainly played up on the often passed-by humor in King Lear. I was surprised at the amount of laughter coming from the audience and loved how many of the characters played up their parts while staying true to Shakespeare's language. Edmund's speech in scene one of Act V debating which sister he should choose to marry has some slight humor in it, or perhaps none at all. This Edmund decided to play up on Shakespeare's lines, addressing the audience for advice, humorously asking "Which of them shall I take?" (slight pause) "Both?" (pause) "One?" (another pause) "Neither?" The audience had fun with his speech, which I feel it is how it should have been done, since Edmund is stupid enough to get himself in between two sisters. This is just one of many examples.
Just getting the experience to see a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theater was so exciting. We each got a taste of what it would be like to see something that people of Shakespeare's time would have been watching. (The occasional plane flying by did ruin the ambiance a bit, though!)

Day 6 - The Globe Theater

Though located near the river Thames, Shakespeare's original playhouse was not in fact in central London, but rather an outlying district called Southwark. I heard that Southwark had a "colorful" reputation of being not too different from what we would call a "bad" district today, certainly not the place to find respectable gentry. Yet the famous playhouse, by attracting commoners and gentry alike, brought people of all classes together in a region "renowed for bear-baiting and other less than respectable activities" (Globe Theater pamphlet). Nonetheless, elements of England's strict class divisions remained, commoners were in the courtyard by comparison with England's nobility which were seated in the balconies. I also read something in a pamphlet, about the old Globe, relating to geography: "That playhouses could even exist at all was in part due to its Southwark location, it was outside the jurisdiction of a disappointing central London bureaucracy." Though the original playhouse is no longer with us, we can enjoy a very close approximation of it today in Southwark, the very same place the original was built in. I felt that the performance was authentic, with no fancy stage production as we may see in other theaters in the US. I really enjoyed the play and I think everything about the recreated Globe theater was fantastic. Our ticket allowed us to tour exhibits and recreations of Shakespearean costums and homes. There were also many younger kids there (because of school vacation), and I think that they would enjoy it as well- the language was not off-putting because when it is acted out, it is a lot easier to follow than reading it. I think that many people who visit the Globe have the potential to broaden their understanding of Shakespearean theater. Along with the play, the atmosphere and history truly made it a memorable experience.

Day 6 - Tabard Inn

The Tabard Inn, demolished in the 19th century, was mentioned by Chaucer in the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales as the starting point of Chaucer's pilgrims. Before we visited this place, I was very excited to see where it was and what it looked like. I had spent almost an entire semester reading the Canterbury Tales and analyzing Chaucer's work. I was anxiously waiting to actually be in the place that was the foundation for their pilgrimage. Before the pilgrims set off, they assembled by chance at this inn. "Befell that, in that season, on a day / In Southwark, at the Tabard, as I lay / Ready to start upon my pilgrimage..." ( I. 19-21). Over supper, the inn's host Harry Bailly proposes tha they hold a "story-telling" competition to pass the time en route: each pilgrim is to tell two tales on the way and two more on the journey home and the best wins a free supper. While I was at the Inn, I pictured all of the pilgrims I had recently read about eating, drinking, and journeying down the streets that we walked down as well. The taverns location is an appropriate entryway into Chaucer's world for a number of reasons. First off, it is a hospitable place where men and women of a variety of classes can congregate. In the middle ages, it was not uncommon for people of different social classes to join together as pilgrims as they would not elsewhere in life. Overall, I especially enjoyed this experience because I got a sense for where all of Chaucer's pilgrims met before their pilgrimage - and it was almost as if we could have been that group, but heading to The Globe instead!

Yorkshire Moors

On Tuesday, we ventured to the Bronte Parsonage at the Yorkshire Moors where the Bronte sisters based many of their novels and works. It was mere chance that we arrived later in the day, when the sun was beginning to peek behind the clouds, and there was an eerie air to the church grounds and the parsonage. This eeriness was supplemented by the crying of the crows, the lack of tours, the rain and the looming darkness.
The isolation of the area as a whole helped me to get a sense of how trying a journey the character of Jane Eyre might have endured from Lowood to Thornfield. The atmosphere of the moors when we were there closely paralleled Charlotte Bronte's descriptions of the area that surround both Lowood and Thornfield, and throughout the novel there is always a sense of darkness and looming mystery. In the beginning of the novel, the reader can sense a pending mystery, yet it is several chapters later before it is revealed. It is something you can't quite put your finger on what it is, but it is there nonetheless. This same feeling of a looming mystery or haunting was in the air as we explored the moors, and the man in the window of the church staring out at us as Melissa read her dramatic reading definitely contributed to this. The tone of the atmosphere parallels the mysterious personalities of some of the characters in the novel, including Mr. Rochester and Grace Poole.
The geography definitely played a major role on the rest of the way I read Jane Eyre. The geography definitely effected the tone and the mood of the novel, in addition to the characterization. It would definitely be interesting to see if the mood of the moors is different when the museum is open, if there were more tourists or if the weather were sunnier.

the lake district

As the roads wind away from the london sky it turns and sinks like petals on a blossoming flower overlooking londons withering sky. london sinks and dies in the backroad of an uncomfortable ride to a more beautiful landscape that has sprouted out of equally fertile ground. the route to wordsworths house is long and windy as the narrow streets colide and break apart much like wordsworth poetry did. it is almost possible now to see the solitary reaper standing there in wordsworths surrounding fields as if she just appeared from the landscape that wordsworth enjoyed so much. we see as he saw humanity sprout from the ground. we see a lonely man, not alive or dead standing there stiff and stone like. He is expressionless and is standing there meekly humbled by his surroundings. the lake district, in its tranquility and peacefulness renders one with an understanding of wordsworths passions for life and nature and it is possible to see the conflicts he saw between humanity and nature. Nature is incredibly beautiful at times and it can be extremely ugly in other cases. it can be desolate like the moors and lifeless and infirtile. it can leave the viewer staring at a lifeless shadowy landscape, eerie in all detail. but through this it is possible to see the romantic view of all life. it is the moors that show us the true beauty of the lakes. it is the way the moors themselves are beautiful. not even clouds can prevent the vivid light from protruding through the clouds and giving life to the hills and the trees. The sun that scatters through the valley and penetrates through the hills is the same sun that loosened the rain from the clouds that fell into wordsworth's eager eyes, while strolling around his gentle garden. now, a couple hundred years into the future, it is a bit more possible to see him through the foggy air as he waits for the right moment to pick an instantly petrified flower, at the first touch of his delicate hand.

Day 5: The Lake District and Yorkshire Moors

On Tuesday, 5/27/08 we visited the Lake District and the Yorkshire Moors. The Lake District featured many forms of hills, with a more rocky terrain towards the upper limited and gently rolling hills at the bottom. Looking from Wordsworth’s house window, the gardens frame the blue lake in the distance with more gentle hills in the background. From every angle exists a clear division between the harsher environment and the greener, temperate hills and pastures, yet both views are possible to see within each line of sight causing a combination of the two extremely different landscapes. The Yorkshire Moors are similar, yet there is less of a focus on the gardens and more on the hilly pastures. The most striking scene is the cemetery upon walking up to the Bronte Parsonage; it sets a dreary tone for the rest of the view, especially if it is raining.
After viewing spot, Emily Bronte immediately comes to mind. Wuthering Heights takes place on the ever weather-changing moors. The Heights household, the Earnshaw residence, is located on the harsher, steeper hills and crags of the moors, while the passive household of Thrushcross Grange lies within the gentle hills below the Heights. The Heights is known for its high winds and fierce storms, while the Grange is likely to have more moderate conditions. Through Wordsworth’s window I can see Cathy and Heathcliff racing their horses along the rocky Heights towards the gentle Grange, or Mr. Lockwood struggling over the upper crags during a storm, taking refuge at the reclusive Heights. At the Yorkshire Moors past the Parsonage, a vast pasture sits before me. Above that lies a large sloping hill with thick, unkempt grass. I picture Cathy and Edgar’s tombs buried within that mound, with Heathcliff’s recent burial forced between the two, adding to the tangled quality of the grassy pastures. The wind blows over the moor and the closing to Wuthering Heights (also my dramatic reading) crosses my mind. I too can feel “…the soft wind breathing through the grass…” and can visualize the “unquiet slumbers” upon the moors (Bronte 322).
Bronte already does a remarkable job of using the geography to shape her characters: Heathcliff and Cathy’s wild spirits belong in the dark and violent Heights with its rocky summits and powerful winds, while refined Edgar and Isabella of the Linton family belong in the lower calm region of the Grange. Going to both locations, the Lake District and Yorkshire, only strengthen Bronte’s talent. It is amazing for a reader to visit these attractions and pick out scenes from the novel by just scanning the horizon. Certainly the geography speaks for itself. Besides Wordsworth’s house and the Bronte’s Parsonage turned into small museums, there is no mainstream marketing. The districts are still small and preserved to capture what it was like back when the Bronte sisters were writing novels, or what Wordsworth would have been doing while writing poetry. The area stresses the importance of these writers, but does not present it in a flashy, tourist attraction type of way.

Day 4- Bath, England

A couple days ago we toured around England and visited Bath, the area of England most associated with Jane Austen. I really enjoyed visiting this town and found it to be a great experience, although I do wish we could have stayed longer. I found out that the Austens' residence in Bath is a private home and not open for visits. But Herschel House, the residence of William Herschel and his sister Caroline, is comparable though not quite as elegant as the Austens' residence. I was able to see what Jane Austen meant when she described the houses, setting, and atmosphere in her novels and letters.
Austen was a close observer of social class and customs, and this is seen in her novel Emma. Considered the author's masterpiece, Austen believed she had created "a heroine whom no one but myself will much like (1).”
Our visit to Bath wouldn’t be complete without seeing the Assembly Rooms. The name comes from a form of eighteenth century entertainment known as an assembly. Here people would meet up to socialize — play cards, enjoy music, or dance. I was able to see that today this space is used to house the Museum of Costume. I loved seeing the architecture (which I heard another visitor call “Georgian architecture”), as well as the structural and interior designs. I was really able to see how this piece of literature was influenced by geography. For example, one of the times that this room was mentioned in Emma was when she stated, “Tea passed pleasantly here, and nobody seemed in a hurry to move (89).” Seeing this room and touring the entire area helped me better relate to the setting of the book. I was able to put a visual image in my head and connect it to what I had previously read.
I also enjoyed visiting the Upper Rooms in Bath. The Lower and Upper Rooms appear in Northanger Abbey and in Persuasion, and were the scenes for many dances and concerts. By doing research, I found out that the Lower Rooms no longer exist but the Upper Rooms, so called because they are situated in the upper part of town, are still much as they were in Jane Austen's time. In the basement of the Upper Rooms there is an excellent costume museum. I also did a little more research to find out some more about the town. Bath was Austen’s home only for four years, from 1801 to 1805. The family moved there when her father retired, and moved to Southhampton in 1805 after her father's death. Austen wrote little during the period between her residence in Bath and Southampton. Travel and various social engagements kept her busy in Bath.

Issues to Consider

Some issues to consider:

• Influence of museums enshrining authors
• Economic dependence of small towns on literary tourism
• Economic impact of literary tourism in cities
• Gift shops’ role marketing authors
• Authentic versus restored or modernized
• Entertainment versus education (how much does that parallel tension apparent in literary studies
• Role of place/locale/geography in each novel/play/poem
• Ways authors use place/locale/geography to set tone and provide imagery
• Ways place/locale/geography shapes narrative
• Ways author borrowed from or changed locale

Instructions

We've created this class blog as a group travel journal for everyone to contribute impressions, adventures, and photographs. Title each post or comment as Day #x (according to the day of the trip).

In addition, students enrolled in English 458 will also use the blog to brainstorm for their course essay by “posting” (creating a text entry on the front page) or “commenting” (responding to another student’s post) at least 5 different days between 24 May and 7 June. For these special entries you need to create at least 2 posts and at least 3 comments. Please label your posts Literature/Geography: Author's Name.

For your posts, you should use the class’s evolving ideas about the intersection of geography and literature to argue for a relationship you have discovered between one of our literary texts and a place we have explored. (So for Day #8, you might consider how your visit to the Tate Modern helps you better understand Daisy in McEwan’s Saturday; for Day #14, you might consider the ways Oxford shaped/was shaped by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, or The Hobbit.)
You’ll need to do the following, in the order given; include the numerals to designate the separate parts of the assignment:
1. Provide the name of the place you explored, followed by a brief (probably between 50 and 100 words) but pertinent description.
2. Provide the name of the literary text, and summarize a segment of the text illuminated by your explorations.
3. Finally, explain how you see the literature and geography shaping one another. This explanation should not be a simple observation on how this particular locale is the setting for the novel. Such statements are invariably unhelpful overgeneralizations. Instead, provide a significant insight. Maybe you’re realizing just how the Globe’s size would have determined the number of characters on stage at one time; or maybe you’ve seen that desolate landscapes of a novel help explain the desperation of its characters. Or maybe you’ve discovered that our image of Shakespeare is the result of tourism’s very active merchandizing. Always support your discussion with evidence, quoting and citing from the literary text(s) when possible.

For your responses, you should agree with, disagree with, or amend a post’s conclusions about the intersection of a specific work of literature and a locale by providing and explaining NEW evidence that either supports, questions, or adjusts the post.

This assignment is credit/no credit. If you complete all the blogs as instructed, you will receive credit.