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Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University English Theses Department of English Fall 12-18-2013 A Phrenological Assesment of Rebecca Harding Davis’s Sketch, “Blind Tom” LeAnne M. Davis Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_theses Recommended Citation Davis, LeAnne M., "A Phrenological Assesment of Rebecca Harding Davis’s Sketch, “Blind Tom”." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2013. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_theses/161 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of English at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A PHRENOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF REBECCA HARDING DAVIS’S SKETCH, “BLIND TOM” by LEANNE M. DAVIS Under the Direction of Dr. Janet Gabler-Hover ABSTRACT In this essay, I examine how the nineteenth-century cultural phenomenon of phrenology is made apparent in the abolitionist arguments of Rebecca Harding Davis’s “Blind Tom” (1862), a nonfiction character sketch of the popular blind slave and idiot savant-musician. The first portion of my argument constructs a probable reality that allows for the influence of Davis’s exposure to phrenology first as a student, then later as a writer. I then perform a critical assessment of “Blind Tom,” revealing how Davis relies upon phrenological terminology, such as that employed by famous phrenologist Orson Squire Fowler, in her descriptions of the musician’s physical appearance in order to call for his freedom, from not only slavery on the Georgian planation he called home, but also, from being paraded as an sideshow and a spectacle before audiences across America. INDEX WORDS: Phrenology, Rebecca Harding Davis, Blindness, Thomas Bethune, Orson Fowler, Realism, Physiognomy, Abolitionism A PHRENOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF REBECCA HARDING DAVIS’S SKETCH, “BLIND TOM” by LEANNE M. DAVIS A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2013 Copyright by LeAnne Marie Davis 2013 A PHRENOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF REBECCA HARDING DAVIS’S SKETCH, “BLIND TOM” by LEANNE M. DAVIS Committee Chair: Dr. Janet Gabler-Hover Committee: Dr. Audrey Goodman Dr. Gina Caison Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University December 2013 iv DEDICATION To those who fall down: Get back up again. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS When I first began this journey toward obtaining an advanced degree, I had so many lofty ideas of becoming an artist, of living the writer’s life I had always dreamed of, and of remaining on this scholarly path for the rest of my career. While the academic experience of seminar classes, conferences, and publication exceeded all of my expectations, I found early my road forward was much more difficult than I had originally imagined. Over the course of the last two years, I have stumbled, lost my way, started over, and discovered myself anew. The culmination of all of this tumult is manifested in and represented by this master’s thesis. Without any doubt, I can say that the driving force pushing me toward the finish line of the degree program has been the relentless support of my faculty advisors, my family, and my friends. Every step of the way, I have found myself comforted by your words of encouragement, challenged by your standards, and motivated by your never-ending positivity. While a few words of acknowledgement on this page cannot begin to express my gratitude and appreciation of your collective efforts to see me through, I want to extend heartfelt thanks to those who have helped me achieve this goal. To my committee members, Dr. Goodman and Dr. Caison – thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for my project, for your patience, and for your ever-timely responsiveness. To Dr. Gabler-Hover, my advisor – thank you for understanding, and for never leaving my corner as I felt my way through the writing process. Your steadfast encouragement has meant more to me than you know. I appreciate our Saturday morning meetings over coffee, your determination to keep me engaged with the project, and your flexibility as I explored and changed my trajectory. You have served as an exemplary mentor and role model to me as a professional educator. To Gaby, thank you for your inspirational spunk, and of course, your vi support. To my family – thank you for first instilling in me the value of setting goals and seeing them through, and for standing behind me in my decision to stay in Atlanta to follow through on this goal in particular. Laura Jean – we marched down this path side by side, and now, we can enjoy the view of our destination together. As always, you inspire me. To my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles – your love and your prayers have seen me through! To Stef, Amy & Hugo, Karen, Ashley, Zack, and Chris – the fact that we’re all still friends even though I’ve fallen off the face of the planet, essentially, in order to finish my thesis shows that you are friends of the truest degree. You’ve listened to me ramble incessantly about phrenology for almost a full year, never closing your ears or shutting your hearts. To dearest Tom – thank you for never giving up or backing down. You’ve seen me at my worst as I’ve tried to balance a career and a student life, and you stood by me, undaunted. I look forward, to introducing you to my ‘best’ on the road that lies ahead. To Megan – we made it! WOOT! Step by step, we have rebuilt after the Great Disasters. You have been like a sister to me throughout the pursuit of our degrees, and I am beyond thankful that you were placed in my life as my travelling companion for this journey. To Mary Alice – thank you, thank you, and thank you again. I hope we always remember one day with fondness, the hours on end spent on autumn afternoons in the GSU library, raging at noisy students, complaining about bureaucracy, crying over edits, and rejoicing over progress. You kept my bum in the chair, focused and on task. In closing, two thoughts come to mind: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), and the verse from the beloved song, “Never once did we ever walk alone.” vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. “Blind Tom” handbill, 1868 ……….…………………………………………………2 Figure 2. “Blind Tom” handbill, year unknown ...…..……………………………………….14 Figure 3. Front cover of The American Phrenological Journal from 1848 ..…..……………22 Figure 4. Thomas Bethune, age 10 …...…..………………….…………………………..……36 Figure 5. “Blind Tom” in The Phrenological Miscellany, 1865-1873 .………………………41 Figure 6. The Phrenological Head ….……………………….……………………………...…56 Figure 7. Thomas Bethune, in adulthood, seated at the piano.………………………………75 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... vii INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1 Argument Overview...................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter Outlines ......................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 1: SETTING THE STAGE .................................................................................... 15 A Literary Introduction to Rebecca Harding Davis ................................................................ 15 Pseudoscience in the Nineteenth Century ................................................................................. 18 Phrenology and the Mainstream Media ................................................................................... 19 Phrenology and Literature ......................................................................................................... 24 Phrenology and Davis ................................................................................................................. 27 CHAPTER 2. INTRODUCING THOMAS GREENE WIGGINS BETHUNE .................... 32 Thomas Bethune’s biographical background .......................................................................... 32 A shapeless form ......................................................................................................................... 34 An outward examination ............................................................................................................ 35 Inward conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER 3. “BLIND TOM’S” PHRENOLOGY ................................................................. 42 “Blind Tom” Takes the Stage .................................................................................................... 42 A “Curious Problem” ................................................................................................................. 45 ix The Power of Memory ...............................................................................................................
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