Category: Commonplace Book (Page 1 of 2)

Through the use of a commonplace book, one can compile a set of quotes, images, or anything else that inspires them to save that depiction. This collection of entries can say a lot about the author as they select what interests them the most at that time in their life.

According to Tom Standage-

“[T]he practice of maintaining a commonplace book and exchanging texts with others also served as a form of self-definition: which poems or aphorisms you chose to copy into your book or to pass on to your correspondents said a lot about you, and the book as a whole was a reflection of your character and personality.”

Tom Standage

The entries in my commonplace book follow the ideas similar to those of Standage, as I saw the content of my entries stayed fairly constant throughout the semester. I regularly posted or researched media images that helped me to envision what life was like during the time these novels took place. Through the use of paintings, reviews, and images from the Victorian ages, I was able to get a better understanding of the concepts within each novel. Being more of a visual learner, I enjoyed being able to include what aspects of each story I was inspired most by through the use of pictures and contextual imagery. If I were to continue my commonplace entries however, I suspect I would see a pattern that relates more to the observations of Kelsey McKinney.

“In our pursuit of knowledge, we often desire a traceable path in our growth. For our ancestors and a select few modern writers, commonplace books provided a way to look back through past developments and brainstorm new experiences.”

kelsey mckinney

I believe that this observation of commonplace books would be more apparent over longer periods of time when there is more time for personal growth. I currently see my commonplace entries as being an expression of how I learn best. Completing this book propelled me to research these novels through more critical, deep thinking, which in turn allowed me and other students to have a more complete understanding of the underlying messages and concepts within each story.

When looking over the entries in my commonplace book, I noticed most of them include original reviews from when the novels had first come out. After learning about life during the Victorian ages, it’s not surprising to see that most of these now beloved stories were once not so loved by their original audience. In my first posts, I entered some of the ideas as to why the Victorians disapproved of the monstrous.

As an Animal Behavior major, I was vastly intrigued by how the early views of psychology and science shaped Victorian perceptions. Our understanding of science allows us now to clearly distinguish fact from fiction- however this line was not always clear. Views on human psychology used to be quite diminishing, and mental health was not generally acknowledged. The lack of scientific knowledge combined with the social conflicts of the time made these new ideas scary, and many were unwilling to accept that what they had believed all their lives could be wrong. In my latest post, I quote the original preface to Dracula which was removed by the editor immediately upon reading the manuscript.

“I am quite convinced that there is no doubt whatever that the events here described really took place, however unbelievable and incomprehensible they might appear at first sight. And I am further convinced that they must always remain to some extent incomprehensible“

Brahm stoker

According to TIME, the impact of presenting the story as true, especially as Jack the Ripper had just recently performed the Whitechapel murders, had the potential to cause mass hysteria.Although they originally may have received many disappointing reviews, the monstrous novels of the Victorian era have left an enormous impact on today’s society. Although we may ridicule what they used to believe, the stories told can still teach us valuable life lessons. They all teach us to consider who, or what, a monster really is. The media and film industry are still to this day recreating these stories and producing spinoffs almost yearly. During research for my commonplace entry for The Beetle, I was drawn into blogs that reviewed all of the early horror films (1920’s) which included versions of nearly all the novels we have read for this course. The significance of the subject is clear, as the production of these stories continue to capture our interest even after hundreds of years. The impact of the media will keep these monsters alive forever.

I believe that completing these commonplace entries has allowed me to gain a greater contextual understanding of the novels. Whether it was seeing what inspired the authors physically (paintings, pictures, locations…etc) or the social movements they were experiencing (science vs religion, women’s liberation, seperation of classes…etc). Recognising these, I was able to have a greater appreciation for the characters and their story with a deeper understanding of the issues they face. Researching the primary literature from the time period is an excellent way to grasp the concepts that are now foreign to us, and inspire additions to my entries that go deeper into the issues being faced during this time and how they influenced the way the novel was written.

The original preface, only published in the Icelandic version, included this statement from Bram Stoker:

“I am quite convinced that there is no doubt whatever that the events here described really took place, however unbelievable and incomprehensible they might appear at first sight. And I am further convinced that they must always remain to some extent incomprehensible“

“All the people who have willingly — or unwillingly — played a part in this remarkable story are known generally and well respected. Both Jonathan Harker and his wife (who is a woman of character) and Dr. Seward are my friends and have been so for many years, and I have never doubted that they were telling the truth…“

Due to the recent murders at Whitechapel in London that had taken place when the book was first submitted, the books editor decided it would not be of interest to publish the story as true to prevent the spread of mass hysteria. When the novel was first released on May 26, 1897, the first 101 pages of the story had been cut, numerous alterations had been made, and the epilogue had been shortened, changing Dracula’s ultimate fate.

In the 1980s, the original Dracula manuscript was discovered in a barn in rural Pennsylvania. Nobody knows how it made its way across the Atlantic. That manuscript begins on page 102. Jonathan Harker’s journey on a train, once thought to be the beginning of the story, was actually right in the middle.

The majority of this content comes from an article in Time magazine- you can read more about it here- https://time.com/5411826/bram-stoker-dracula-history/

One century after the death of Bram Stoker, the Guardian republishes a literary criticism of his novel Dracula from the year 1897. This interesting look back at the views of the time shows how the public originally may have viewed the work disappointingly.

A second review from 1897 brings a more positive review for the novel, however Dracula won’t become a popular novel until well after the death of Stoker.

While doing background research on The Beetle, I discovered tons of sites that included information on early motion pictures. Many of them mentioned The Beetle, a British film from 1919. Curiously, not even stills from this classic are to be found anywhere, while other films from this era such as Nosferatu (1922), Frankenstein (1910), or Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920) have stood the test of time and are regarded as some of the best silent films of all time. I wonder if the fact this movie was never as popular as the others is why we don’t hear so much about the novel? After all, it was more popular than Dracula when the two horror novels had been released. All of us grow up hearing about other early monsters (Frankestein, Dracula, Hyde) that had established their dominance on the silver screen well before our time but rarely do we hear about Richard Marsh’s creation. Would The Beetle novel be just as popular as these other monsters if the film was more popular?

I also kept on seeing results for The Golden Beetle (1907) which was one of the first ‘colorized’ films (each frame was hand painted in post-production). The Beetle brought up the ideals of the New Woman, so I loved how in this film a badass lady beetle captures a man and destroys him.

This article from The New Yorker goes into the implications the book had on Wilde’s life. Due to the homoerotic symbolism in the novel, Wilde was convicted of “committing acts of gross indecency with certain male persons” and thrown in prison. After his death Wilde was known as a homosexual martyr that even inspired a nascent gay-rights movement.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/08/08/deceptive-picture

Hyde is the physical embodiment of the possibilities for human degeneration. His character may represent the possibilities for humans to return to a more primitive state, as it shows our ability to unleash repress monstrosity.

“If it is true that evil is inherent in all people or at least the result of people’s experience rather than divine providence, then it becomes more difficult to say with certainty that God had any role in forming the hearts and minds of human beings.”

Fuller, b. 2016

This analysis of the novel provides interesting thoughts on how Victorians may have viewed this novel based on the new research and understanding of psychology coming to light.

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1491/the-anxiety-of-the-unforseen-in-stevensons-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde

The Wellcome’s Mental Health digitized records include a large span of primary source material that deal with the history of medicine dating from the 15th century to present day. Topics covered include anatomy, chemistry, psychology, zoology, and almost everything in between. The artifact I chose to explore is ‘Reasons for the establishing and further encouragement of Saint Luke’s Hospital for Lunaticks’ published 1830 in London, England. It is a small, printed book which includes lists of current staff, instructions, properties, and annual accounts and statistics. St. Lukes was founded in 1750 and functioned as a mental hospital for the poor. I chose this artifact because I am intrigued by the aspect of inhumane treatment of the mentally ill during this time period. Terms once widely used by professionals for describing the mentally ill (lunatic or idiot) would be considered wildly inappropriate today. When looking at the patient summaries, less than half of all patients that had been admitted were discharged as cured. The majority were discharged as uncured, idiots, diseased, or unfit. What would they do with these patients that were released as uncured? The concept of being deemed as an idiot or unfit for treatment also makes me wonder what criteria was being used for admission. When we think about Rochester keeping Bertha, a mentally unstable woman, in his attic for all those years, we are quick to judge Rochester for locking her up, questioning if he was the cause of her insanity. However thinking back to the level of understanding people had of mental health during this time period, many people would not have been able to understand Bertha’s mental illness or its cause. This article reminded me to think of things in the context of the time period they were written in and not just mine. Getting a closer look at primary sources from the time period made it easier for this to be accomplished and see another point of view.

“Think of his misery; think of his danger—look at his state when left alone; remember his headlong nature; consider the recklessness following on despair—soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you?“

Brontë, pg 408