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Jamie DeWitt

Journal #2

After watching that film on The White City, I realized how crazy it is that in the 1800’s people were capable of building a city so marvelous and spectacular. This is because we are so technologically advanced today that we constantly think about anything that happened before the 1980’s as ancient and lacking marvel. People from all around the world came in peace to experience other cultures and learn about different ways of life. This is something that I do not think would ever be able to happen today because nations no longer get along as well as we used to. While the US likes to think of itself as a peace keeper, we have developed enemies. The closest thing we have to a world’s fair now is the Olympics, which even then is not even close to the extremeness of the World’s Fair in Chicago.  Another thing that surprised me is that the White City has never been a priority in any history class or curriculum. Why do our education institutions not teach us about the great success the White City had? It was so architecturally sound and gigantic that it shrinks any other building in comparison. In my opinion, the white city was one of the biggest architectural and cultural accomplishments the US has ever had, and the world has ever seen.

Another thing that we discussed this week is the idea of our bodies being a motor, or running like motors. In my political economy class we learned about the history of the work day and how in the early ages people were only able to work from dawn to dusk because of no electricity, and many had a lot of leisure time. As companies began to form and people started to work more, leisure time slowly decreased. With the development of electricity and light, factories and offices now could run before sunrise and after sunset. Our bodies motors began ticking longer and longer. However, the biggest change was the development of the clock because it allowed for businesses to keep their workers for a maximum amount of hours to get the most work out of them. The clock made our bodies work on over time, causing them to become more tired and overworked. Our culture now changed from one of leisure to one of work. This we learned is called a paradime shift, in which something we know changes drastically which effects the way we live or see things. Now our lifestyles changed because we have less time for chores, family, sports etc because we must work more and more in order to compete with other workers.

Overall, we have realized now that as time goes on, our work drive only grows more and more. I wonder if our bodies will ever reach a point of destruction from the constant lack of sleep and over work. Where can the line be drawn where we as a society can regain leisure time and strengthen the bonds we have within our families and communities. Would shortening work hours strengthen communities and help provide more peace? Only time would tell.

One of the things I was most surprised about this week was really delving into how much technology has and continues to shape our thoughts, behaviours, and societies. For example, in the film about the Chicago’s World Fair, I was shocked by how much of the displays and attractions on which countries spent thousands of dollars were technologically driven to display the superiority of their nations. Even the displays of food and lace subtly showed the majesty of each of the nation’s technological advancement, with the food showing the connectivity of each nation, and the world as a whole; for who could transport fresh oranges thousands of miles without technology, and who could make such fine lance in such bulk without machines and power. In addition to the more amusing and appealing attractions, I found it shocking how many weapons were on display. By seeing the grandeur of the weaponry on display from several of the countries directly involved in the later wars on Europe, I couldn’t help but wonder if the drive to be the greatest at the fair did not contribute to the destruction and millions of casualties during the war which might not have been so great had the weaponry not advanced so far beyond the past war tactics. I wonder this in part due to the fact that throughout my studies of the Great War, one fact has remained glaringly obvious: while the weapons technology had advanced rapidly, the battle tactics had not, and thus even more people were killed. In addition to the massive display of superiority over one another, I found it shocking that nations used people as a part of their attractions, to show their dominance over a ‘lesser’ civilisation and to show a disparity between their wealth and advancement and that of their colony. I found this particularly disturbing not only due to the clear violation of human rights, but also due to the fact that Hank, from the Connecticut Yankee was so appalled with the slavery he saw around him in King Arthur’s time. While I had known that people were still greatly discriminated against after the abolition of slavery, particularly people from other, ‘savage’ nations, after reading Hank’s views I suppose I thought it would not have been so severe; although after having researched more about Twain’s life, it made more sense to me that his characters would share views akin to his own, rather than completely representing the ideals of the general US population, let alone the European population as well.

In addition to the film, I was interested by how much Hank’s exposure to more advanced technology altered his view of the society in sixth century England, and in King Arthur’s court. For example, if I had found myself in his position, I believe I would not try to change the communication and business aspects of the nation, which Hank chose to do – I believe in part due to the massive industrial and technological revolution which was occurring around the time the novel was written – but instead would try to improve the health and medical aspects of the country. I believe this difference to be in part personal differences, but primarily due to the differences between the worlds in which Hank and I have grown up. During his time, in the 19^th century, the industrial revolution was occurring, whereas nowadays, many of the large technological advancements are in the field of medicine. Thus, although I am personally more fascinated by medicine than some of my colleagues, I believe there to be a universal increase in interest in the medical field, more broadly in the increasing longevity of the human race.

Finally, I find it fascinating that the opinion of idleness has shifted over time, from the Grecian view of it being something which one ought to wish to obtain, to its being frowned upon to the extent that it was seen as a great sin, to now, when idleness itself is the goal and is seen as a great success, for which people toil away. The notion of idleness has always seemed hypocritical to me, being a way to oppress the masses, while seemingly not applying to the higher classes, who could elect to do things at their own leisure. Even now, though it is not frowned upon so greatly, it seems as though idleness and leisure are the ultimate goal, for which people ought to work, in some cases practically working themselves to death, rather than having people simply find worth and contentment in where they are and what they have, so that people, particularly in the states, can finally experience that what they have is enough.

I found Hank’s journey through Arthurian England as an analogy for how people go through the world. Like the Romans said “Veni, vidi, vici” he went, he saw, he became the boss, tried to takedown the church, then killed twenty- five thousand english knights with electric fences and gatling guns. No matter where people go they never seem to want it to stay the same as before they journeyed there, they always want to leave a mark, so make a change. They cause the natural to become unnatural just as Hank turned sixth century England into the industrial revolution that occurred 1300 years later. He could not sit be and enjoy a world he would have never been able to experience otherwise, he had to create advertising for the knights without a purpose, training schools for a navy that didn’t exist and altogether destroy the flow of time that existed without him. Imagine the incredible story that Twain could have told if people were beings of intrigue, adventure and had the ability to let the time move without them leading it. It could have been a fantastic adventure about a guy stuck in the constantly changing and advancing world of the industrial revolution who gets brought back to King Arthur’s time and just goes along with the world. He might save some pigs who happen to have crowns from evil pig farmers, he could be a peasant in the street who bows as the king walks by, or he could have even been mind controlled by the church to preach their values to the others of the time. Too bad he just could not let time continue as intended.

After reading Anson Rabinbach’s book, “The Human Motor”, I began to wonder if society’s perception of work and its value it brings to one’s life should be viewed as a positive or negative thing. I have always believed in hard work and the places it can take you. I have put myself through more than a fair amount of pain and discomfort to know that fatigue is a very real thing. So, when Rabinbach walked the reader through the history of multiple physicians, sociologists and philosopher’s views on the battle between fatigue and idleness, I was very intrigued. Towards the beginning of his discussion, Rabinbach introduced some groundwork with how fatigue was discovered and how it heavily affected the way society functions.

Fatigue was considered the start point of social disorder and moral decay because the world depended on a constant working system. It was a sign of weakness and an absence of will. Reflecting on the law of thermodynamics has caused people to think that the human body is a machine and the ideal worker never gets tired. So, work hours were increased and the pressure to perform at an optimal rate was very high. But this in turn led people to realize that fatigue is an important factor and that in order to function, people need rest. People began to push for change and reform. The social, economic, and political benefits were unlocked when they discovered the most efficient way to work.  They opted for shorter hours and considerable breaks in order to maximize the worker’s energy. This caused a new perception of the word “idleness”. Instead of thinking of it as committing a sin, being idle was accepted as a natural process that the body needed to go through.

A good example of the balance between work and leisure is evident in the film, “Expo of the White City”, which documents the extravagant displays of the World Fair put on in Chicago during the late 19th century. So much effort, time, and money was put into this grand expo in which countries from all over the world were given the opportunity to show everyone “what they were made of”. This ranged from material goods, technological inventions, and cultural backgrounds that worked in a paradoxical way. People were given the chance to experience something new and different. It opened their eyes to other parts of the world. But, some things provoked feelings of revulsion and fear. I think the World Fair had an undertone of competition and was utilized as a means of measuring who was at the top and who had the most power. In all the glory and show of the fair, we have to consider the work that was behind it. The preparation of putting on this show was hard to even conceive. They created the displays in record time by developing efficient techniques that have stuck with us to today. This gave way to the pleasure and leisure the fair-goers experienced. Without the hard work and effort, there would have been nothing to enjoy. Therefore, work and leisure are two processes that have to converse in order to bring order to the world.

This week we read Twain’s The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Rabinbach’s The Human Motor, and watched the film Expo: Magic of the White City, directed by Bussler.

Both The Connecticut Yankee and the World’s Fair film incorporate the theme of producing advanced technology and modernization in comparison to the era each scenario is set. In The Connecticut Yankee, Hank Morgan, man from the 19^th century, was transported to 6^th century England. There he used his knowledge of 19^th century technology to accelerate the modernization of King Arthur’s land. In the World’s Fair film, states and countries came together in Chicago for the world fair. Each nation had their own extravagant displays, each trying to outdo the other displays. This competition led to many highly advanced technological innovations. These technologies ranged from innocent entertainment, like the invention of the Ferris wheel, to serious technologies, like the cannons built by the Germans.

The innovation in both these tales seem to be ahead of time. In The Connecticut Yankee, Hank uses his expertise of technology to help improve life in the 6^th century, yet many deaths are due to the futuristic technology. During the world fair, the powerful cannons the Germans built that had all the visitors in awe were later used in war.

My question is, is technology advancing too quickly? The world is always changing, which means there is a certain amount of unpredictability that is expected; this can be in both positive and negative. My generation is used to rapidly changing technology. Electronics are constantly being updated and countries own very destructive weapons, such as nuclear bombs. Humans hold so much power, yet we don’t know the right thing to do with it. It’s a cycle of trial and error, fixing, and learning from mistakes. Technology advancement creates problems that are all interconnected. For example, new discoveries in medical research are always occurring, thus humans are able to live longer. Yet, this creates problems for our species such as overpopulation and climate change. We respond by inventing new technology to solve the problem and it in turn creates more problems. It is an ongoing pattern. The relationship between society and technology goes both ways, society shapes technology, yet at the same time technology shapes society.