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Creating a Shared History: Serial Narratives In CREATING A SHARED HISTORY: SERIAL NARRATIVES IN THE YOUNG WOMAN'S JOURNAL, 1889-1894 by Sherry Baker A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Communication The University of Utah December 1988 Copyright (c) Sherry Baker 1988 All Rights Reserved THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH GRADUATE SCHOOL SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Sherry Baker This thesis has been read by each member of the following supervisory committee and by majority vote has been found to be satisfactory. 7. Chair: / 7 Je/ilyn S. McIntyre J~ 7, i9eg Dean L. May • \ Fa ^Timothy L. Larson THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH GRADUATE SCHOOL FINAL READING APPROVAL To the Graduate Council of The University of Utah: I have read the thesis of Sherry Baker______________________________ ;n j[S finai form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographic style are consistent and acceptable; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the Supervisory Committee and is ready for submission to the graduate school. ^Lis Date J^f^iyn/s. McIntyre ' ~/j~ Member, Supervisory Committee Approved for the Major Department Malcolm 0. Sillars Chairman/Dean Approved for the Graduate Council B. Gale Dick Dean of the Graduate School ABSTRACT "Creating a Shared History: Serial Narratives in The Young Woman's Journal, 1889-1894" is a cultural press history and textual analysis of contemporary indigenous serial literature in a nineteenth-century Mormon young women's periodical. It tests press historian Catherine Covert's assertions that some of the functions of the press are (1) to be a conservator of values, and (2) to engender harmony and affiliation among community members. The investigator places the Journal within the his­ torical/cultural context from which it was written, and identifies specific messages in the serial narratives that encouraged the preservation of Mormon values and Mormon community affiliation. The author gives a brief overview of Utah press history, discusses the social and historical forces that shaped nineteenth-century Mormon women, reviews the history of the Journal and its editor, Susa Young Gates, and analyzes the text of the Journal's first five years of serial narratives. Some of the major affiliative themes were recitations of personal and group suffering and sacrifice for the religion; empathy for Mormons of other generations and nationalities; defense of Mormon theology and lifestyle; and encouragement to marry within the Church. Positive depictions of polygamy continued in the stories, even after Mormon leaders issued a public announcement that plural marriage would no longer be sanctioned. The tone of the narratives was ardently defensive of polygamy, and of plural wives, as if they had been written for the benefit of Mormon foes. Inasmuch as they were written exclusively for an audience of young Mormon women, however, many of whom were products of plurality, the defensive stance is notable. Despite recent studies that document continued Mormon participa­ tion in and allegiance to polygamy, this author suggests a disenchantment with the practice, at least among young Mormon women. As Covert's assertions would predict, the messages of the Journal’s narratives sought to reduce that disenchantment and alienation and to foster bonding with the community. Covert's assertions about the functions of the press are well supported by all aspects of this study. The thesis is also evidence that contemporary indigenous literature is a rich source of cultural history. v To Bill and my six wonderful children who have been so patient, loving, and understanding. CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................... ix INTRODUCTION......................................... x Statement of the Research Question ............ x Literature Review............................... xi Description of Study and Method................ xx Chapter I. THE UTAH P R E S S ............................. 1 II. THE WOMEN OF Z I O N ......................... 20 American Victorianism.......................21 The Frontier............................... 28 The Immigrants............................. 30 The Religion............................... 34 Negative Popular Images.....................42 The Leading Sisters......................... 44 III. SUSA YOUNG GATES AND MORMON LITERATURE . 50 IV. VOLUME 1: OCTOBER 1889 - SEPTEMBER 1890 . 66 "Whatsoever a Man Soweth" by Homespun . 66 "Maggie Hartley's Temptation" by Hannah. 73 "We Tread the Dust" by Ellen Jakeman .... 77 "Polished Stones" by Genie ..................81 V. VOLUME 2: OCTOBER 1890 - SEPTEMBER 1891 . 86 "The Western Boom" by Ellen Jakeman........ 86 "Lights and Shades" by L.L. Greene Richards. 99 "Love's Sacrifice" by W.T. Forsgren........ 121 "A Struggle for Freedom" by Sophy Valentine............................... 122 VI. VOLUME 3: OCTOBER 1891 - SEPTEMBER 1892 . .127 "Reclaimed" by M.S. and L.S................ 127 "God Knows Best" by Sophy Valentine . .130 "Sister Sarah" by Sophy Valentine.......... 131 VII. VOLUME 4: OCTOBER 1892 - SEPTEMBER 1892 . .139 "Baby Nello's Mission" by Kate Grover. .140 "A Birthday Diamond" (Author Unidentified) .141 "Worse than Death" by Homespun............ 144 "Aunt Ruth's Story" by Sophy Valentine . .147 "Thorborg" (Author Unidentified).......... 148 "The Child Bride" by Helen Thompson........ 153 VIII. VOLUME 5: OCTOBER 1893 - SEPTEMBER 1894 . .158 "David and Rebecca" by W.A.M............... 158 "My Husband and I" by Sophy Valentine. .161 "Seven Times" by Homespun...................166 IX. CONCLUSION................................. 176 Appendices A. STORIES LISTED BY VOLUME AND NUMBER . .191 B. STORIES LISTED BY A U T H O R ...................195 C. STORIES LISTED BY TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES IN S T O R Y ................................... 198 D. SUMMARY OF VALUE-CONSERVING THEMES ........ 200 E. SUMARY OF COMMUNITY-AFFILIATIVE THEMES . .202 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 204 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My deepest appreciation is extended to Dr. Jerilyn S. McIntyre for all her reading and rereading, her patience and counsel, and for her astute blue pencil. INTRODUCTION Statement of the Research Question In recent years, there has been a call for new approaches to the study of journalism history. Catherine Covert was among the scholars who responded to that call with her discussion of new ways to perceive the role of the press in society. In "Journalism History and Women's Experience: A Problem in Conceptual Change,Ml Covert examines the underlying assumptions of the dominant paradigm of traditional press histories. She says traditional journalism histories have been about winning, autonomy, and change. She says they focus on conflict, winners, the metropolitan media, the autonomous editor, and on progress and expansion. Covert argues that this historical interpretation of the press ignores some important aspects and contributions of the press. The following study draws on several of Covert's explicit and implied assertions--specifically, that some of the significant and overlooked functions of the press are to be a conservator of values, and to engender 1 Catherine L. Covert, "Journalism History and Women's Experience: A Problem in Conceptual Change," Journalism History 8, no. 1 (Spring 1981): 2-6. concord, harmony, affiliation, and a sense of binding and bonding among the members of a community. These asser­ tions will be examined in the context of a specific press -- the Young Woman's Journal. The Journal was a nine­ teenth-century monthly, printed in Salt Lake City, Utah, with young Mormon women as its target audience. The study will examine the serial literature in the Journal from 1889 to 1894. It will seek to discover the specific ways in which the literary texts from this particular press demonstrate the efficacy of Covert's assertions and, as a social/cultural history, will concurrently reveal much about the Mormon female experience, and how it was perceived by Mormon women in the late nineteenth century. Literature Review Press histories have traditionally been institutional and/or biographical studies, focusing on such topics as names, dates, organizations, editorial themes, contribu­ tions of particular editors, and political leanings. There has been a thrust away from such institutional approaches among media historians in recent years. The new emphasis in the field is generally dated to the seminal essay by James Carey in 19742 in which Carey said 2 James W. Carey, "The Problem of Journalism History,” Journalism History 1, no. 1 (Spring 1974), and for a discussion of the impact of Carey's article, see "'Putting the World at Peril': A Conversation with James W. Carey," Journalism History 12, no. 2 (Summer 1985): 38-53. xi the traditional Whig and progressive interpretations of history are insufficient to an understanding of the relationship between the press and society. Press historians have since heeded Carey's call.3 Many are now writing press histories "from the bottom up" in social histories of the press, or people's histories. They have studied, for example, the Spanish-language media, Native American journalism, and populist journalism.4 In her article "Toward a People's Press History,"5 Lauren Kessler encourages this emphasis, especially the focus on alternative journalism and the dissident press, printed by "those on the fringes
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