DOCSLIB.ORG

INFLUENCE of the PARIS HERALD on the LOST GENERATION of WRITERS. the University of Oklahoma, Ph.D

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
INFLUENCE of the PARIS HERALD on the LOST GENERATION of WRITERS. the University of Oklahoma, Ph.D I This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 66—14,260 WOOD Jr., Thomas Wesley, 1920- INFLUENCE OF THE PARIS HERALD ON THE LOST GENERATION OF WRITERS. The University of Oklahoma, Ph.D., 1966 History, modern University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan 0 THOMAS WESLEY WOOD JR. 1967 All Rights Reserved THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE INFLUENCE OF THE PARIS HERALD ON THE LOST GENERATION OF WRITERS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY THOMAS W^' WOOD JR. Norman, Oklahoma 1966 INFLUENCE OF THE PARIS HERALD ON THE LOST GENERATION OF WRITERS APPROVED BY d . DISSERTATION COMMITTEE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE ..................................................... iv Chapter I. A TRIPLE LEGEND FUSES (Paris, the Herald,.and the Lost Generation) ................................. 1 II. THE HERALD ' S FACTUAL IMAGE ................ 46 III. THE MAJOR LITERARY WORKS O F .HERALD STAFF MEMBERS.......................................... 91 IV. JOURNALISTIC TRAINING AND INFLUENCE OF THE HERALD ON ITS STAFF............................ 122 V. NEWSMAN-LITERATI ASSOCIATIONS....................153 VI. CONCLUSIONS; THE ADJUSTED VIEW. .'.......... 208 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................238 APPENDICES.............................. 252 111 PREFACE Legend attaching to the Paris Herald presents that publication as a light hearted newspaper which offers a sti­ mulating haven to destitute and dissolute American writers in France. Like most legends, this one contains some truth. The Herald 's alluring image first attracted me in 19^9 , upon reading Frank Luther Mott’s monumental work on the history of American journalism.^ Exposure to other books in­ creased my curiosity and I resolved to measure, if possible, the truth of the image for the period 191?-to 1939» The press of circumstances, however, thwarted the project until the summer of 1964. Eric Hawkins, editor emeritus of the Herald, then agreed to interviews and the late Dr. Donnell Owings of the University of Oklahoma’s history department agreed to direct my research. Actual work became possible when adminis­ trators at the University of Tulsa thought highly enough of the undertaking to finance the travel portion of the expenses required for a journey to Europe where I could examine the Paris Herald and interview articulate survivors of the Lost Generation. Dr. Brison Gooch agreed to direct my work after Dr. Owings’ untimely death in 1966 and Dr. Arrell Gibson saw ^Frank Luther Mott, American Journalism; A History of Newspapers in the United States Through 260 Years; I69O: 1950 (New York: Macmillan Co., 1950). iv the work through to its completion. An effort has been made to measure every conceivable influence the Herald had or might have had on the Lost - Generation men and women. In its broadest definition, the Lost Generation would number in the thousands. That definition would embrace all Americans aspiring to creative careers who visited Paris during the period between World Wars I and II. Obviously, it was necessary to reduce the scope of my study. Primary consideration has been given to persons con­ nected --sometimes remotely--with the Herald. In addition, focus was centered on individuals who lived in Paris during that era and who were engaged in efforts to write novels, poetry and other works normally less transitory in nature than newspaper stories. A further concentration was necessary since unsuccessful careerists might have been Lost Generation, but, in the strictest sense, were not writers. This, of course, assumes that recognition is essential to the classification of writer; hence the people dealt with here either became noted as writers or were successful enough in writing professions to survive and merit attention. Thus I present names, large and small, if they were in Paris between 1919 and 1939» if they made a mark through pre-eminence or endurance, and if they related to the Paris Herald. Unfortunately, not all of the people who qualified under this classification cared to come forth with their stories.^ Where possible, however, an effort was made to bridge the gap from other sources. The classification out­ lined is departed from in one category. Because some famous writers have erroneously been linked to the Herald as em­ ployees, they are mentioned in this work in the hope of setting the record straight. It should be noted here that rival newspapers, parti­ cularly the Paris edition of The Chicago Tribune, in the field from 1917 to 193^ when it was absorbed by the Herald. must also be accorded a place of honor in the matter of influence.The Paris Times, which existed from l$2k to 1929, had a lesser, although measurable, influence. Indeed, the full story of expatriate newspapers or expatriate writers in this period ^Henry Miller, for instance, did not respond to three letters directed to him and avoided an interview on the West Coast. William L. Shirer and Eric Sevareid answered letters but were very brief. Most of the people contacted, however, wrote lengthy, informative letters. Particularly helpful were Jules Frantz, A1 Laney, and Eric Hawkins. Frantz wrote 10 letters, allowed copying of about ^0 photographs and a tele­ phone interview. Laney wrote six letters and submitted to two telephone interviews and Hawkins wrote at least half a dozen letters and permitted four hours of taped interviews in Paris. Alice Toklas, longtime confidante of Gertrude Stein, still living in Paris, had broken a hip and was indisposed. ^In order to avoid confusion when referring to the European editions (Paris) of the New York Herald and the Chicago Tribune, the former will be referred to in this work as the Herald or the Paris Herald and the latter will be men­ tioned as the Tribune or the Paris Tribune. This departs somewhat from the conventional and casual references made to these papers by staff members. In their quotations they refer to the Herald Tribune sometimes as the Herald Trib and the Chicago Tribune’s Paris edition as the Chicatrib, the Trib or the Chicago Tribune, E.E. (European Edition). Herald Tribune people generally refer to the paper as used here, calling it the Herald or the Paris Herald. VI cannot be told without reference to the Tribune. In a later work I hope to expand this study to give the Tribune its due and, if possible, reach some decision as to whether the Herald or the Tribune was the prime mover among Lost- Generation writers. Vll INFLUENCE OF THE PARIS HERALD ON THE LOST GENERATION OF WRITERS CHAPTER I A TRIPLE LEGEND FUSES (Paris, the Herald, and the Lost Generation) When the Twentieth Century was still in its teens, circumstances combined to blend three legends into one and to give birth to a stunning impression of a golden era for dis­ illusioned American artists who made their way to Paris. Further, this massive impression which captured the imagina­ tion of the American people included in a vague but unques­ tioned way the idea that American newspapers there served as a haven and guiding force for these people who took on news­ paper training and then went on to greater distinction through the pages of books. This impression applied particularly to the Paris Herald. The legend of the Herald has blended so completely with those of Paris and the Lost Generation that it is impossible to look at one without looking at all three. Being the largest legend, the Lost Generation should be looked at first. "Lost Generation," as a term, dissolves upon close examination. In referring to the era in general, 2 Janet Planner, Paris correspondent for the New Yorker since 1925» defined Lost Generation people as "everyone who was here." Weakness of the term shows through when Miss Planner adds, "I know of no one who was lost,"^ and when Vincent Sheean, former journalist and now a noted author, agrees in what becomes a majority report, saying, "The only way in which 2 I ever belonged to it was by the calendar." In the face of a general rejection of the term by the people assumed to constitute the Lost Generation, one must turn to the broader group of Americans living in Paris if the expression is to have meaning. Only one person, Harold Stearns, was referred to as lost. Other specific identifica­ tion of individuals with the Lost Generation breaks down and wallows in generalities. Samuel Putnam, in Paris Was Our Mistress, refers to persons who were unable to bring them­ selves to return to the States and "became drifters, touts, pubs, bartenders, pimps, confidence men and sellers of porno­ graphic pictures. Although this allusion is to a small percentage of the thousands who went abroad and visited Paris between 1919 and 1939j the reference seems to be to the "lost" who can be found anywhere. Americans evidently have had no trouble identifying with the "American in Paris" image because many of them as Ijanet Planner, taped interview with the author, Paris, December 26, 196k, ^Vincent Sheean, letter to the author, July 6, 1965. ^Samuel Putnam, Paris Was Our Mistress (Toronto: Viking Press, 19^7)5 37, hereafter cited as Mistress. 3 tourists or members of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I had seen the "land of enchantment" which they compared to their native land. Danger and exotic behavior, experienced in an atmosphere of little restraint in war-torn or post-war France, no doubt made the image acceptable at a time when disillusionment after World War I was running high. People who became "exiles" or "expatriates," often referred to as "expas," presumably were unwilling to sit in America amid the disillusioned and went abroad in quest of a voice, new themes and techniques, and away from culturally stagnant America. Harold Stearns, editor of Civilization in the United States, which contained thirty essays chronicling the cultural desolation of America, and T.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reid Hall Columbia Global Centers | Paris
    Reid Hall Reid Academic Year 2016 – 2017 Columbia Global Centers | Paris Annual Report “ The best semester of my life.” DIEGO RODRIGUEZ, ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM Contents “During my time at Reid Hall, I not only benefited from exceptional professors from Columbia’s campus and at Paris IV, but also had my perspective of the world drastically expanded. Advisory Board & Faculty Steering Committee 2 Between living with host families and interacting Letter from President Lee C. Bollinger 4 with other students—both those in my program Letter from EVP Safwan M. Masri 5 and those at French universities—I gained the Introduction, Paul LeClerc, Director 6 ability to analyze and critique the American and Reid Hall, Une réhabilitation, the French ways of life. I became so enamored Brunhilde Biebuyck, Administrative Director 10 by the latter that, while initially only intending to The Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination 13 Fall, Spring, & Summer Academic Programs 16 spend one semester MA in History and Literature 16 Whether or not a The Shape of Two Cities: Paris Spring Term 20 abroad, I have Columbia Undergraduate Programs in Paris, Fall & Spring Terms 22 chosen to stay in student intends Columbia Undergraduate Programs in Paris, France to continue Summer Term 25 to do the same, Other Summer Academic Programs 27 my studies. Alliance Graduate Summer School 27 I recommend a Senior Thesis Research in Europe 30 Public Programs 31 study abroad at Paris Center Programming 31 Columbia Sounds at Reid Hall 33 Reid Hall without Columbia University Alumni Club of France 34 Programs Organized by CGC l Paris 36 ” hesitation.
    [Show full text]
  • UMB and the United States Presidency: Faculty and Alumni Ties to the Country’S Highest Office
    UMB and the United States Presidency: Faculty and Alumni Ties to the Country’s Highest Office Item Type Blog Authors Wink, Tara Publication Date 2021-02-15 Abstract In celebration of President’s Day 2021, Historical Collections highlights the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s connections to the United States Presidency. With a founding date of 1807, UMB is just thirty-one years shy of sharing a birthyear with ... Keywords Parr, Henry Albert; Richardson, James Julius; University of Maryland, Baltimore; Dunglison, Robley, 1798-1869; Dentists; Physicians; Baltimore College of Dental Surgery; Presidents-- United States; Physicians Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Download date 30/09/2021 10:15:33 Item License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10713/14777 UMB and the United States Presidency: Faculty and Alumni Ties to the Country’s Highest Office Posted February 15, 2021 Written by Tara Wink, HSHSL Historical Collections Librarian and Archivist In celebration of President’s Day, Historical Collections at the HSHSL is looking back on University of Maryland, Baltimore’s connections to the United States Presidency. With a founding date of 1807, UMB is just thirty-one years shy of sharing a birthyear with the United States and with a home in Baltimore a mere thirty-eight miles from Washington, D.C. it is not surprising to find ties to the U.S. Presidency. The following outlines three UMB faculty and alumni and their ties to the highest U.S. Office. Dr. Robley Dunglison, 1798-1869 School of Medicine Faculty Member, 1833-1836 School of Medicine Dean 1834-1835 During his lifetime, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson 12: Handout 4, Document 1 German Youth in the 1930S: Selected Excerpted Documents
    Lesson 12: Handout 4, Document 1 German Youth in the 1930s: Selected excerpted documents Changes at School (Excerpted from “Changes at School,” pp. 175–76 in Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior ) Ellen Switzer, a student in Nazi Germany, recalls how her friend Ruth responded to Nazi antisemitic propaganda: Ruth was a totally dedicated Nazi. Some of us . often asked her how she could possibly have friends who were Jews or who had a Jewish background, when everything she read and distributed seemed to breathe hate against us and our ancestors. “Of course, they don’t mean you,” she would explain earnestly. “You are a good German. It’s those other Jews . who betrayed Germany that Hitler wants to remove from influence.” When Hitler actually came to power and the word went out that students of Jewish background were to be isolated, that “Aryan” Germans were no longer to associate with “non-Aryans” . Ruth actually came around and apologized to those of us to whom she was no longer able to talk. Not only did she no longer speak to the suddenly ostracized group of class - mates, she carefully noted down anybody who did, and reported them. 12 Purpose: To deepen understanding of how propaganda and conformity influence decision-making. • 186 Lesson 12: Handout 4, Document 2 German Youth in the 1930s: Selected excerpted documents Propaganda and Education (Excerpted from “Propaganda and Education,” pp. 242 –43 in Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior ) In Education for Death , American educator Gregor Ziemer described school - ing in Nazi Germany: A teacher is not spoken of as a teacher ( Lehrer ) but an Erzieher .
    [Show full text]
  • Issue of Blake
    BLAKE AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY PBOCJLAllATION TIRED OF THE SPECTACLE OF SHORT STORIES, NOVELS, POEMS AND PLAYS STILL UNDER THE HEGEMONY OF THE BANAL WORD, MONO­ TONOUS SYNTAX, STATIC PSYCHOLOGY, DESCRIPTIVE NATURALISM, AND DESIROUS OF CRYSTALLIZING A VIEWPOINT ••• WE HEREBY DECLARE THAT : 1. THE REVOLUTION IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS AN AC­ COl\IPLISHED FA CT. 2. THE lllAGINATION IN SEARCH OF A FABULOUS WORLD IS AUTONOMOUS AND UNCONFINED. (Prudence is a rich, ugly old maid courted by Incapacity ... Blake) 3. PURE POETRY IS A LYRICAL ABSOLUTE THAT SEEKS AN A PRIORI BEAUTY WITHIN OURSELVES ALONE. (Bring oul number, weight and measure in a year of dearth ... ~lake) 4. NARRATIVE IS NOT .llERE ANECDOTE, BUT THE PROJEC­ TION OF A METAMORPHOSIS OF REALITY. (Enough I Or Too Much !... Blake) 6. THE EXPRESSION OF THESE CONCEPTS CL\lV BE ACHIEVED ONLY THROUGH THE RHYTHMIC " HALLUCINATION OF THE WORD ". (Rimbaud). 6. THE LITERARY CREATOR HAS THE RIGHT TO DISINTE­ GRATE THE PRIMAL llA'ITER OF WORDS IMPOSED ON HDI BY TEXT-BOOKS A.~D DICTIONARIES. (The road of excess leads to the palace of Wisdom ... Blake) 7. HE HAS THE RIGHT TO USE WORDS OF HIS OWN FASH­ IO~NG AND TO DISREGARD EXISTJNG GRAMMATICAL AND SYNTACTICAL LAWS. (The tigers of wrath are wiser lhan the horses of inslruclion ... Blake) 8. THE" LITANY OF WORDS" IS ADMI'ITED AS AN INDEPEN­ DE~T lJ-:\TIT. 9. WE ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH THE PROPAGATION OF SOCIOLOGICAL IDEAS, EXCEPT TO Ei\IANCJPATE THE CREATIVE El,E..\lEi"VTS FROl\I THE PRESENT IDEOLOGY. 10. TL\IE IS A TYRANNY TO BE ABOLISHED.
    [Show full text]
  • A Humble Protest a Literary Generation's Quest for The
    A HUMBLE PROTEST A LITERARY GENERATION’S QUEST FOR THE HEROIC SELF, 1917 – 1930 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Jason A. Powell, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2008 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Steven Conn, Adviser Professor Paula Baker Professor David Steigerwald _____________________ Adviser Professor George Cotkin History Graduate Program Copyright by Jason Powell 2008 ABSTRACT Through the life and works of novelist John Dos Passos this project reexamines the inter-war cultural phenomenon that we call the Lost Generation. The Great War had destroyed traditional models of heroism for twenties intellectuals such as Ernest Hemingway, Edmund Wilson, Malcolm Cowley, E. E. Cummings, Hart Crane, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Dos Passos, compelling them to create a new understanding of what I call the “heroic self.” Through a modernist, experience based, epistemology these writers deemed that the relationship between the heroic individual and the world consisted of a dialectical tension between irony and romance. The ironic interpretation, the view that the world is an antagonistic force out to suppress individual vitality, drove these intellectuals to adopt the Freudian conception of heroism as a revolt against social oppression. The Lost Generation rebelled against these pernicious forces which they believed existed in the forms of militarism, patriotism, progressivism, and absolutism. The
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 New York No Numbers
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK A list celebrating the city that – until last month – never sleeps. These 50 selections reflect the city’s important contributions to history, art, music, literature, cuisine, engineering, transportation, architecture, and leisure. This is an enhanced PDF catalog. If you click on an image or the highlighted headline of any entry, you will be linked to our website where you will find images. We are happy to provide more images or information upon request. In chronological order 1. HARDIE, James. The Description of the City of New York. New York: Samuel Marks, 1827. 8vo. 360 pages. Hand-colored engraved folding map. Contemporary sheep, gilt decorated on spine. Provenance: contemporary ownership inscription on front free endpaper. Binding worn, occasional pale spotting. Large folding map has a small tear at the attachment else very clean and bright. $325 FIRST EDITION. Church 1336; Howes H-184. Sabin 30319. RIVERRUN BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS NEW YORK HYDRATED 2. RENWICK, James. Report on the Water Power at Kingsbridge near the City of New-York, Belonging to New- York Hydraulic Manufacturing and Bridge Company. New-York: Samuel Marks, 1827. 8vo. 12 pages. Three folding lithographed maps, printed by Imbert. Sewn in original printed wrappers, untrimmed; blue cloth portfolio. Provenance: contemporary signature on front wrapper of D. P. Campbell at 51 Broadway. Wear to wrappers, some light foxing, maps clean and bright. $1,200 FIRST EDITION of this scarce pamphlet on the development of the New York water supply. Renwick was Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Chemistry at Columbia College, and writes at the request of the directors of the New York Hydraulic Manufacturing and Bridge Company who asked him to examine their property at Kingsbridge.
    [Show full text]
  • Making the New: Literary Periodicals and the Construction of Modernism
    Making the New: Literary Periodicals and the Construction of Modernism Peter Marks University of Sydney We are told that we live in a postmodernworld, experiencing unprecedented innovations, delights, and anxieties. Rather than rehearse these here, I want initially to touch brieflyon one theoretical attempt to make sense of this condition, one that definesPostmodernism in relation to its presumed antecedent, Modernism. I want to use this as a way of questioning the "monumental" view of literary Modernism, in which a massive landscape abounds with canonical texts carved by mythical giants: Joyce, Eliot, Woolf, Pound, Stein-the usual suspects. I do this by considering the role of literary periodicals in the construction, production, and initial reception of those texts. The later part of this discussion focuses on transition, the Paris-based journal of the 1920s and 1930s whose aspirations, pretensions, vigor and perilous existence typify the complex forces in play. I emphasize the point that while indi­ vidual periodicals consciously adopted distinct identities, they need to be understood collectively forthe vital functionsthey performed: they printed avant-garde work as well as advanced criticism and theory; acted as nurseries for experimental young writers, and as platformsfor the already-established; forged and maintained interna­ tional links between writers and groups; provided avant-garde writers with sophisti­ cated readers, and vice versa; and maintained an ipteractiveplurality of cultural dis­ course. Alive with the energy of experimentation, they register the fertile, complex, yet intriguingly tentative development of modem literature. In his inquisitive and provocative work, ThePostmodern Turn, lhab Hassan moves towards a concept of postmodernism by constructing a table of "certain schematic differences from modernism" (91).
    [Show full text]
  • Revisiting the Media Freedom Debate at Uganda's Independence Golden Jubilee
    REVISITING THE MEDIA FREEDOM DEBATE AT UGANDA'S INDEPENDENCE GOLDEN JUBILEE Michael Kakooza REALITY CHECK Revisiting the media freedom debate at Uganda’s independence golden jubilee Written by Dr. Michael Kakooza The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and Uganda Media Development Foundation but rather those of the author. REVISITING THE MEDIA FREEDOM DEBATE AT UGANDA’S INDEPENDENCE GOLDEN JUBILEE i REALITY CHECK Revisiting the media freedom debate at Uganda’s independence golden jubilee Published by: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Uganda 51. A Prince Charles Drive, Kololo P.O. Box 647, Kampala, Tel. +256 414 254611 www.kas.de ISBN: 978 9970 153 08 4 In partnership with: Uganda Media Development Foundation Plot 976 Mugerwa Road. Bukoto P.O.Box 21778 Kampala, Tel. +256 414 532083 www.umdf.co.ug © Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.v. 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. ii REVISITING THE MEDIA FREEDOM DEBATE AT UGANDA’S INDEPENDENCE GOLDEN JUBILEE Table of Contents Foreword ...................................................................................... 1 Preface ............................................................................................3 Profile of the Author ....................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements .......................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Gertrude Stein and Her Audience: Small Presses, Little Magazines, and the Reconfiguration of Modern Authorship
    GERTRUDE STEIN AND HER AUDIENCE: SMALL PRESSES, LITTLE MAGAZINES, AND THE RECONFIGURATION OF MODERN AUTHORSHIP KALI MCKAY BACHELOR OF ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE, 2006 A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS Department of English University of Lethbridge LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, CANADA © Kali McKay, 2010 Abstract: This thesis examines the publishing career of Gertrude Stein, an American expatriate writer whose experimental style left her largely unpublished throughout much of her career. Stein’s various attempts at dissemination illustrate the importance she placed on being paid for her work and highlight the paradoxical relationship between Stein and her audience. This study shows that there was an intimate relationship between literary modernism and mainstream culture as demonstrated by Stein’s need for the public recognition and financial gains by which success had long been measured. Stein’s attempt to embrace the definition of the author as a professional who earned a living through writing is indicative of the developments in art throughout the first decades of the twentieth century, and it problematizes modern authorship by re- emphasizing the importance of commercial success to artists previously believed to have been indifferent to the reaction of their audience. iii Table of Contents Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………. i Signature Page ………………………………………………………………………… ii Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………….. iii Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………….. iv Chapter One …………………………………………………………………………..... 1 Chapter Two ………………………………………………………………………….. 26 Chapter Three ………………………………………………………………………… 47 Chapter Four .………………………………………………………………………... 66 Works Cited .………………………………………………………………………….. 86 iv Chapter One Hostile readers of Gertrude Stein’s work have frequently accused her of egotism, claiming that she was a talentless narcissist who imposed her maunderings on the public with an undeserved sense of self-satisfaction.
    [Show full text]
  • Upholding the Disney Utopia Through American Tragedy: a Study of the Walt Disney Company’S Responses to Pearl Harbor and 9/11
    Upholding the Disney Utopia Through American Tragedy: A Study of The Walt Disney Company's Responses to Pearl Harbor and 9/11 Lindsay Goddard Senior Thesis presented to the faculty of the American Studies Department at the University of California, Davis March 2021 Abstract Since its founding in October 1923, The Walt Disney Company has en- dured as an influential preserver of fantasy, traditional American values, and folklore. As a company created to entertain the masses, its films often provide a sense of escapism as well as feelings of nostalgia. The company preserves these sentiments by \Disneyfying" danger in its media to shield viewers from harsh realities. Disneyfication is also utilized in the company's responses to cultural shocks and tragedies as it must carefully navigate maintaining its family-friendly reputation, utopian ideals, and financial interests. This paper addresses The Walt Disney Company's responses to two attacks on US soil: the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the attacks on September 11, 200l and examines the similarities and differences between the two. By utilizing interviews from Disney employees, animated film shorts, historical accounts, insignia, government documents, and newspaper articles, this paper analyzes the continuity of Disney's methods of dealing with tragedy by controlling the narrative through Disneyfication, employing patriotic rhetoric, and reiterat- ing the original values that form Disney's utopian image. Disney's respon- siveness to changing social and political climates and use of varying mediums in its reactions to harsh realities contributes to the company's enduring rep- utation and presence in American culture. 1 Introduction A young Walt Disney craftily grabbed some shoe polish and cardboard, donned his father's coat, applied black crepe hair to his chin, and went about his day to his fifth-grade class.
    [Show full text]
  • Kennedy Assassination Newspaper Collection : a Finding Aid
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Special Collections and University Archives Finding Aids and Research Guides for Finding Aids: All Items Manuscript and Special Collections 5-1-1994 Kennedy Assassination Newspaper Collection : A Finding Aid Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. Special Collections and University Archives. James Anthony Schnur Hugh W. Cunningham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/scua_finding_aid_all Part of the Archival Science Commons Scholar Commons Citation Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. Special Collections and University Archives.; Schnur, James Anthony; and Cunningham, Hugh W., "Kennedy Assassination Newspaper Collection : A Finding Aid" (1994). Special Collections and University Archives Finding Aids: All Items. 19. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/scua_finding_aid_all/19 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by the Finding Aids and Research Guides for Manuscript and Special Collections at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Collections and University Archives Finding Aids: All Items by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Kennedy Assassination Newspaper Collection A Finding Aid by Jim Schnur May 1994 Special Collections Nelson Poynter Memorial Library University of South Florida St. Petersburg 1. Introduction and Provenance In December 1993, Dr. Hugh W. Cunningham, a former professor of journalism at the University of Florida, donated two distinct newspaper collections to the Special Collections room of the USF St. Petersburg library. The bulk of the newspapers document events following the November 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. A second component of the newspapers examine the reaction to Richard M. Nixon's resignation in August 1974.
    [Show full text]
  • Paris, New York, and Post-National Romance
    Sex and the Series: Paris, New York, and Post-National Romance Dana Heller / love Paris every moment, Every moment of the year I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris? Because my love is here. —Cole Porter, / Love Paris This essay will examine and contrast two recent popular situation comedies, NBC's Friends and HBO's Sex and the City, as narratives that participate in the long-standing utilization of Paris as trope, or as an instrumental figure within the perennially deformed and reformed landscape of the American national imaginary. My argument is that Paris re-emerges in post-9/11 popular culture as a complex, multi-accentual figure within the imagined mise-en-scene of the world Americans desire. The reasons for this are to a large degree historical: in literature, cinema, television, popular music, and other forms of U.S. cultural production, from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century and into the twenty first, Paris has remained that city where one ventures, literally and/or imaginatively, to dismember history, or to perform a disarticulation of the national subject that suggests possibilities for the interrogation of national myths and for 0026-3079/2005/4602-145$2.50/0 American Studies, 46:1 (Summer 2005): 145-169 145 146 Dana Heller the articulation of possible new forms of national unity and allegiance. These forms frequently find expression in the romantic transformation of a national citizen-subject into a citizen-subject of the world, a critique of the imperialist aspirations of the nation-state that antithetically masks those same aspirations under the sign of the disillusioned American cosmopolitan abroad.
    [Show full text]