A Brief History This article provides links to online versions of the various novels and films used in our class on American History after the Civil War. Please click on the book or film’s title to read that book or watch that film online. Digging Deeper Module #1: Reconstruction and the Expansion of American Civilization, 1865-1890 Movie: Shane (1953) Module #2: America’s Appearance on the World Stage, 1890-1918 Book: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893) Book: Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks (1868) Book: The Jungle (1906) Module #3: The Interwar Years, 1918-1941 Movie: The Grapes of Wrath (1940)…
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A Brief History On October 27, 2017, the new major motion picture, Goodbye Christopher Robin, will make its premier at theaters across the United States, bringing humanity and realism to the beloved characters associated with Winnie-the-Pooh, the characters created by author A.A. Milne based on his real life son and his son’s beloved plush animals, characters and children’s books that have become the most cherished of all children’s stories. We had the privilege of previewing this excellent movie before release, and will try to avoid spoilers as we describe the film. Digging Deeper As the title of the British produced…
A Brief History On April 23, 1953, Shane premiered in New York City at Radio City Music Hall. This American Technicolor Western film from Paramount Pictures is noted for its landscape cinematography, editing, performances, and contributions to the genre. The picture was produced and directed by George Stevens from a screenplay by A. B. Guthrie Jr., based on the 1949 novel of the same name by Jack Schaefer. Its Oscar-winning cinematography was by Loyal Griggs. Shane stars Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur in the last feature (and only color) film of her career. The film also stars Van Heflin and features Brandon deWilde, Jack Palance, Emile Meyer, Elisha Cook Jr., and Ben Johnson. Digging Deeper You can rent or buy this film on YouTube below: Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Did you enjoy…
A Brief History Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is an 1893 novella by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). The story centers on Maggie, a young girl from the Bowery who is driven to unfortunate circumstances by poverty and solitude. The work was considered risqué by publishers because of its literary realism and strong themes. Crane – who was 22 years old at the time – financed the book’s publication himself, although the original 1893 edition was printed under the pseudonym Johnston Smith. After the success of 1895’s The Red Badge of Courage, Maggie was reissued in 1896 with considerable changes and re-writing. The story is followed by George’s Mother. Digging…
A Brief History Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks is a Bildungsroman by Horatio Alger Jr., which was serialized in Student and Schoolmate in 1867 and expanded for publication as a full-length novel in May 1868 by the publisher A. K. Loring. It was the first volume in the six-volume Ragged Dick Series and became Alger’s best-selling work. The tale follows a poor bootblack’s rise to middle-class respectability in 19th-century New York City. It had a favorable reception. Student and Schoolmate reported their readers were delighted with the first installment, and Putnam’s Magazine thought boys would love the novel. One modern scholar considers the story a “puerile fantasy” about class…