Reference no: EM133722809

TOPIC 1

We looked at key ways the demographic and ethnic composition of the United States shifted in the late 19th century and early 20th century (approximately 1880s to 1924). We focused especially on the rise of the US as a world power as a consequence of its 1898 conflict with Spain involving Cuba and other Spanish colonies (e.g., Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam). We watched a video in which Daniel Immerwahr explored the ways in which these new territories were, or were not, fully incorporated into the "Greater United States." We noted anxieties and ambivalence over how to percieve and treat these new lands and populations. The general theme of the mixed effects of "expansion" were further discussed by Greg Grandin with his overview of the "closing of the frontier" and the role that the "frontier" played in the American psyche and in the nation's political discourse (for example, Grandin talked about the way that the frontier could be seen to function as a "safety valve" channeling dangerous frictions and allowing the nation to push off any real reckoning with its deep inequalities and contradictions).

The other mechanism reshaping the demographic and ethnic composition from the 1880s through 1924 was mass immigration.

Talk about these two mechanisms (overseas conquest and expansion, mass immigration) and how they reshaped the United States during those years. In particular, how did the mass immigration after 1880 differ from the mass immigration "Old Immigration" of the earlier 19th century?

TOPIC 2

We spent a couple of classes discussing the amazing industrial productivity of the United States in the early 20th century. We paid particularly close attention to the career and contributions of Henry Ford in the automotive industry, and we noted a general concern in those years with "efficiency" and rationalization, as well as worries about who would actually be able to pay for the vast amount of goods that were being produced.

We further noted the keen insights that Alfred P. Sloan made to the marketing and sale of automobiles in an age of mass consumption. The video "Century of the Self" made clear that key insights into human psychology and consumer behaviors were provided by Edward Bernays.

Talk about the new era of mass production, mass consumption, and "public relations" with reference to Henry Ford, Alfred P. Sloan, and Edward Bernays.

TOPIC 3

Exploring the theme of "double containment" in the 1950s through the lens of Far from Heaven

STEP ONE

Begin with a paragraph about the increasing tensions after World War Two between the US and the Soviet Union (international communism). Recall that in class, we talked about President Truman and his policy of "containment" in the face of communist destabilization and aggression. We mentioned the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, fears regarding the potential use of nuclear weapons, as well as the anti-communism that drove Senator Joe McCarthy's witch hunt and that drove the people who came together to form the John Birch Society in 1958. We also noticed in class how one of the first things Truman did as president was to move forward by Executive Order to desegregate the US Armed Forces, a step of huge practical and symbolic significance that helped set the stage for a showdown over the nation's deeply troubled race relations during the 1950s and 1960s.

STEP TWO (feel free to use this language in your paper):

In the cultural history of the United States during the Cold War, domestic containment was the notion that women's main role is in the home, while men work to provide for the family in order to keep a stable home environment and uphold "good American values." Domestic containment emphasized family values and stability in periods of national terror and uncertainty. It relied on the idea that the American nuclear family unit facilitated a "secure private nest removed from the dangers of the outside world." (Wikipedia)

In the feature film Far from Heaven (2002) written and directed by Todd Haynes, we are introduced to the prosperous suburban lives of Cathy, Frank, and their children (The Whitakers). The city of Hartford, CT, in 1957 comes to life for us, yet the melodramatic opening music and the strange shift of seasons in the opening tracking shot indicate that, beneath the surface, tensions are brewing. Despite the corporate success of Frank, the attentive kindness of Cathy, and all the comforts and convenience of a full-time maid and the services of a mellow-voiced yardman (who owns his small business), there is a sense of foreboding hovering around this family.

Keep in mind, while you write, the way that colors, lighting, and costume/set design help to create particular symbolic effects and atmosphere. Try to observe and talk about these aspects of the film as part of your exploration of key themes.

WRITE A FEW PARAGRAPHS IN WHICH YOU EXPLORE THE MULTIFACETED CRISIS THAT RISES UP TO ENGULF THE FAMILIES OF CATHY and RAYMOND.

Obviously this will require that you look into Frank and Cathy's marriage and the threat to the family unit posed by Frank's unfulfilled sexual longings. Be sure also to talk about the avenues Cathy and Frank explore while they grapple with this major crisis. (Therapy plus some over-consumption of alcohol for Frank, also some hook-ups; for Cathy, new companionship with Raymond and a dawning realization that she cannot really rely on her fair-weather friends for sympathy and support.)

You will also need to write about the budding relationship that Raymond, the gardener, and Cathy form. What would you say is the basis of this relationship? How innocent can this relationship be in the segregated world of 1950s Hartford. What do the two individuals see in each other, and is there truly a path forward for them?

Make sure to talk extensively about the forces of "containment"/"domestic containment" that spring into action to preserve a conservative and racially segregated social order. Think about how Cathy's friends react to Cathy's relationship with Raymond, how school children act towards the daughter of Raymond and the daughter of Cathy and Frank.

The scene at the art museum is very interesting, so think about that also.

Likewise, when Raymond takes Cathy to a bar with a jukebox in his own neighborhood, think about how people look at them and act towards them. It seems that there is a lot of self-policing of the color line going on here......

We see some behaviors in Hartford that are similar to what we learned about regarding the racial enforcement mechanisms in the Jim Crow South. Some of those enforcement mechanisms are informal and customary, and the film Far from Heaven in some ways illuminates a kind of Jim Crow North.

STEP THREE

Ultimately, what in your mind are the factors that are decisive in how the intertwined stories develop as the movie reaches its conclusion? Could there be a path forward for Raymond and Cathy? What might that path look like? Are these caring, connected souls really just too "far from heaven"?

What does it mean for each of the main characters (Cathy, Frank, Raymond) to undergo and somehow emerge from this apocalypse? What do you think the future holds for each of them?

STEP FOUR: Finally........

Some of our other readings, podcasts and videos for this week look at interracial relationships in the 1950s and beyond. Based on that outside preparation, you should be able to talk about Mildred and Richard Loving and their troubles with Virginia laws against mixed marriages, a case that went all the way up to the Supreme Court and that was decided in their favor.

What is the significance of the Lovings' story of long struggle?

As the final STEP in your essay, write about the difficulties the Lovings faced and what was involved in their efforts to seek legal relief. Think about the different path they took: they stayed together through thick and thin. Does this change the way you view Cathy and Raymond's decision (in the film Far From Heaven) to go their separate ways?

You are also invited to comment about the NPR podcast "Race wasn't an issue to him...," what do you think explains the reason why the woman decides to move on from Jerry? What's the big deal, why couldn't they work things out?