Humanities@Walden

From Innocence to Experience, A Connection to the Journey of Humn II

            Robert Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience was probably one of my favorite works during this four-week course.  The first series of poems identifies with the innocence of children, while the second set centers around the experience that comes with adulthood.  To simplify things, “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” are two poems within the work that demonstrate the dichotomy of Blake’s themes.  Lambs are generally viewed as innocent creatures, and white is commonly associated with purity.  “The Lamb” describes an innocent creature being asked who made him.  The answer to this question is arrived at quickly, with God being the creator of good creatures. To further underscore the element of innocence, Blake includes that God “became a little child” (Blake, 25).  On the other hand, “The Tyger” is a darker poem, that asks the same question, but with a negative connotation to it.  The speaker can’t imagine what kind of being would create such a terrible creature.  The use of these two poems highlights the innocent, light nature of children and the comparison to the darker nature of experience. The pattern of developing from an innocent to experienced state is repeated multiple times throughout the course.

            Such themes are present within Freud’s work, as well, as he describes humans as being inherently bad, ruled by the struggle of eros and thanatos (libidinal desire and aggressive instinct, respectively).  Additionally, he explains the initial state of children and the events that occur the first time they are exposed to reality and are denied their id’s desires. In a sense, Freud expresses that the loss of innocence happens very early in life.  The development of the super-ego, or conscience, plays a major role in the transition from innocence to experience, as humans develop a feeling of guilt.  Freud lists the fear of authority and the fear of the super-ego as the origins of the sense of guilt.  Experience teaches us to be fearful of authority, and the experience of going against our conscience instills fear of our super-ego. Therefore, it is the experiences that we endure, and the very transition from innocence to experience, that shape us as humans.   

            The progression from innocence to experience is utilized by another author in our course: Mary Wollstonecraft.  Wollstonecraft praises the importance of experience to the development of human beings, and she shares her desire for women to receive an education that would allow them to gain such experience.  She describes the emphasis society placed on the delicate, innocent nature that women were supposed to portray (for their ultimate goal of marriage).  Wollstonecraft rejects this mainstream philosophy in favor of allowing women to receive education and subsequently have experienced lives.   

            I would be truly mistaken if I disregarded Henry David Thoreau in this post. Thoreau likens the lives of humans to the changing of the seasons as a progression from innocence to experience.  As Spring is the season of rebirth, he deliberately plans his stay at Walden Pond so that he leaves when it is Spring.  Therefore, his removal from Walden Pond is Thoreau’s metaphorical rebirth, as he reenters the world with new knowledge and experience.  Thoreau undergoes his own transition from innocence to experience, and he suggests the reader do the same.

            Continuing on, in Maus, we see Artie take a similar path from innocence to experience.  He learns of his own family’s struggle through the Holocaust and witnesses first-hand the effects these events had on his parents’ lives.  His mother’s suicide was a crucial moment in his life that marked a complete loss of innocence.  We find that Artie’s experience drives him to seek help for his mental health, as the terrible events of his family’s past has made him negative and brought out his own darkness.  Artie’s struggle reminds us of how traumatic the transition from innocence to experience can be. 

            The progression from innocence to experience is a central theme in most of the works we studied in this class.  In a way, our journey through humanities involved a similar transition, as our knowledge was increased and we were exposed to more and more Western thought.  The lack of knowledge we had when we arrived made us innocent to a certain degree.  As we progressed through the various texts, we discussed the foundations of civilization and government, and debated the importance of education, religious belief and morality, and warfare.  Our exposure to different perspectives made us think more about where we actually stood on such significant issues.   Some of us encountered more new experiences than others, but we all left Concord as different people than when we arrived.   I was hesitant during the drive up to Concord, but, upon reflection, I realize that I made the right choice by going.  I learned a lot about Western thought, but I also learned many valuable life lessons apart from the course.

—CAG

My Month at Walden Pond

Humanities 2 at Walden Pond was a risk for me. It was something outside the Geneseo classroom walls that I had heard a brief speech about and decided to pursue further. I am so glad that I did—this has been a once in a lifetime experience. I’m extremely grateful that my parents encouraged me to endeavor on this wonderful adventure. The texts we read gained more meaning surrounded by our country’s history. Humanity turned from a monotonous textbook chapter into real people and real remnants of lives captured by houses and artifacts.

Sitting and swimming at Walden Pond was an incredible experience. The pond is aesthetically beautiful, and a place to escape. Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden captures the timelessness of natural beauty alongside deep- rooted paradoxes inspired by his retreat.

I liked the intimacy of a small class, and being an active part in class discussions. It was a unique experience in and of itself to have class in a bar, and to live in the historic Colonial Inn. The Thoreau society events were a great portion of the course. Thoreau’s work continues to touch the lives of people from all walks of life.

Some big questions we touched upon throughout the semester include:

Is society and civilization necessary or a necessary evil? Are humans naturally good or naturally bad? Are all human beings inherently equal? Where is humanity going?

This course has allowed me to think critically about these big ideas and expand my knowledge through literature and experience. Our professors made the class an unforgettable and positive experience, taking each small bump along the way with stride and inspiration.

 Henry David Thoreau said “If one advances confidently in the direction of his or her dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he or she has imagined, he or she will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” This trip has inspired me to do just that.

~SB

Civilization: Full of Discontents

Among most of our readings, I noticed a pattern of the negative qualities of civilzation and how it has affected people. In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, he discusses an ideal society in which everyone is free, even to the point of killing a thief if he tries to steal their property. However, in order to protect their property, one will enter into civilization and follow government, and in doing so, give up many of the natural freedoms he discusses. Mary Wollstonecraft points out some negative impacts of civilization: women are hindered intellectually and physically, since they are socially unequal to men and expected to be obedient housewives. Society and it’s traditions have placed standards on women that disable them from equality and pursuing things outside of a husband and children. Karl Marx, in the Communist Manifesto, asserts that civilization has created a class system that oppresses the majority people and makes them slaves to their work. 

Freud analyzes even deeper the ways in which civilization has hindered our freedoms as human beings. According to Freud, humans naturally possess libidos and egos (a sense of self), which make us long for basic human pleasures and prioritize them above all else.  Our natural human frustrations cause us to have natural aggression, or Thanatos,  whether against ourselves or others. But civilization, according to Freud has shaped us so much that it has implanted in our minds a conscience, or idea of what society considers to be right or wrong. Society so impacts us that if we even think of doing something “wrong”, we feel guilty. These primal instincts and freedoms are thwarted by civilization in that for civilization to work, we simply cannot go around acting on every desire and instinct. The guilt created by the Superego, as well as sublimation of aggressions,  are tools used by society to keep us in line.  In this way, Freud says, civilization keeps us from being truly happy. 

Thoreau as well points out how civilization has shaped our freedoms. To become successful in society people throw themselves into their work to earn money and obtain possessions. People are then chained to their work and do not have the liberty to pursue life. In order to “deliberately live”, Thoreau feels that he has to remove himself from civilization and be self-reliant. He does not seem concerned with wealth or what society thinks of him, and in this way he is free to experiment with life and see what it teaches him. 

Despite the rules and social norms that come along with the development of civilizations, people are willing to trade some of their personal freedoms for security and protection.  It seems that if we wish to progress in technology, medicine and industrialism as much as we had in the time these works were written, giving up these “primal” freedoms and instincts was necessary in order to make such a society work.  Society (or at least the one we have become accustomed to), cannot work without regulations and organization to improve. These authors have all displayed the ways that civilization has fettered us: to our work, our family, or even our own conscience. But none of the authors  argue that we should abolish all of civilization and run around doing as we please, because they know that this would create pure anarchy. I think that we should work to find a happy medium between the structure that society creates and the liberty that humans naturally wish to have. We should find a way to continue to progress while not confining ourselves to norms that have been set in the past in order to be happier. 

Keely

Advice to Next Year’s Geneseo Concordians

From one student to another:

Go to Helen’s. A lot. Eat their frozen yogurt.

Establish a sleeping pattern early on, otherwise you will sleep all day and not see anything.

Read the course books ahead of time. They’re not bad, but they’ll cut into your leisure time a lot.

Best Clam Chowder in Concord: Walden Grille.

If you go to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, visit Author’s Ridge, but also say hey to some other residents. There’s a section of babies on the way to the Ridge, as well as the writer of “The Little Drummer Boy,” the first American woman to receive a driver’s license, and a lot of other people who I’m sure were really nice in their lifetimes.

Bring a rock from your hometown for Thoreau.

When you go to Lowell, skip the trolley tour and go to Boott Cotton  Mill Museum and the adjacent reconstruction of a mill girls’ dormitory. This is pertinent if you’re interested in history; otherwise, go home and take a nap.

Skip trying to mattress surf at the Inn. The stairs aren’t really good for it. Instead use your Sleepover Party (by the way, these are fun- gather your class and have impromptu Sleepover Parties frequently) to collect all of your mattresses and build forts. P.S. Flipped makes a great movie for Sleepover Party. The boys love it especially.

Institute your own Family Dinners other than the Thursday ones- they’re great for bonding. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Bring lots of bugspray. Seriously. And sunscreen. Apparently cold cream is good for burn relief by the way. Bring a bathing suit. Otherwise you’ll be swimming in the lake in your clothes.

There are three bookstores in town: One is on Main St., which is a lot better than you’d expect. It’s like a slightly smaller Border’s. One is a secondhand bookstore behind Fritz and Gigi on Main St. It has awesome deals. Go. The third is called Barefoot Books and it’s on Thoreau St. If you’re going to be an elementary school teacher, or just like being a kid again, this is a must-see. Love it!

Crab-walk-races down the hallway are a good late-night way to bond with new friends.

Don’t wait for the last weekend to go to Boston. Start the first weekend. Your subsequent ones may be eaten up by volunteering and Thoreau Society.

When in Boston, go to Joy St. Take a left on Smith Court and walk down until you reach the end. On the left is an alleyway. Walk through it. It is a long, narrow alley which was used in the Underground Railroad. It’s not really advertised but it’s definitely worth seeing!

Don’t wait until the last minute to start your tumblr posts. I know you’re tired, but you’ll be less stressed if you get some done earlier rather than later.

Don’t be intimidated if you think everyone’s smarter than you. They’re just pretending.

Speak out in class. They’re a lot more interesting that way.

Don’t be that person who is always late for everything. Really don’t be two roommates who are always late for everything. Apparently it earns you nicknames like “Slow and Slower.”

Don’t wait for the shower problem to fix itself. It won’t. Go harass the front desk.

Meet amazing people who will become great friends, get to know your professors (they are amazing, awesome people), and have an incredible time. Check.

All the best,

TB

Eat Learn Love

One of my favorite books of all time is Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. After a difficult divorce Elizabeth travels to Italy where she enjoys the magnificent Italian cuisine. Then Elizabeth goes to India where she visits her Ashram and learns the importance of devoting yourself to becoming a better person. Finally Elizabeth ends her stay in Bali where she falls in love with a wonderful man who she eventually marries. Sounds like a fairytale? Yes but this is an autobiography of one of the most exciting times in Elizabeth’s life. After reading this book I was so inspired and wanted to have a similar experience to Elizabeth’s.

Coming to Concord I didn’t know what to expect. I was intimidated because I knew there were only going to be another nine people in the class. Plus, I knew NOTHING about Concord except that a battle occurred there during the Revolutionary War. I didn’t anticipate the experiences or memories I would come home with.  So I’m entitling my post as “Eat, Learn, Love”.

Eating:

Oh my goodness! I legitimately have not eaten so much in my life. As a lover of seafood I must have tried every single bowl of clam chowder in the Concord and Boston area. (The best is at Ned Devine’s in Quincy Marketplace by the way!) I was in love with the New England cuisine. Whether we were eating at Helen’s for dinner or Bedford Farms for some dessert I knew that I was going to leave feeling full and satisfied. I probably gained ten pounds from this trip but I don’t even care because the food was that delicious.

Learning:

I learned so much from my stay in Concord. First, the class itself was obviously informative, but it was very different from any normal humanities class.  After lecturing about Walden Pond and Thoreau, we would actually go visit the site of Thoreau’s cabin where he wrote this work.  After lecturing about The Communist Manifesto we would actually visit the mills in Lowell. Having this hands-on experience helped reinforce the lectures and helped me understand that these works are living parts of history.

My learning has lead me to become more interested in reading the works of authors who lived in Concord. I am currently reading Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott as well as The Five Little Peppers by Margaret Sidney (Lothrop).

Not all the learning I did was textbook-based. I learned that twelve strangers can become a family within a month. I learned that I can actually hike and enjoy it. I learned that bug spray is a necessity in Concord. I learned that people can be an inspiration. I learned that it is important to preserve history for future generations. I learned that you should always bring detergent to the Laundromat. I learned that four people can actually sleep in one of our tiny rooms. By challenging myself through this experience I was able to learn more about myself and the people around me.

Love:

No I did not find my fairytale ending here at Concord. Some charming young man did not sweep me off my feet. But that’s okay because what I found was so much more important. I established wonderful friendships with people I hardly even knew. We formed a “second family” for each other to depend on (whether this meant sharing a bedroom because of an ant situation or being driven to the supermarket).  I learned that professors cannot only be teachers, but also can be friends.  The Gillins took such good care of us on this trip that I felt like it was my own family I was staying with.  The twelve of us were able to develop a closeness that I think only exists when living with one another. Between Thursday family dinners and Friday field trips we were able to share many valuable experiences. I would like to thank everyone for being so wonderful on this trip and the Gillins for making it all possible!! For the pilot of this program I think we did pretty well =]

Concord Meets Geneseo 2011

Katie

Love Letter to William Blake

I’d like to give Blake a little shout-out. William Blake, I love you! Sorry, but I just feel like Will didn’t get much love in this class. Personally, I love poetry. I used to be an English major, and I miss it all the time. I love Romanticism (probably because all of its remaining burning embers are alive inside me!). I love Blake’s beautiful lyric poetry. And most of all, I love what Blake is telling us.

The things Blake talks about shouldn’t surprise us. They’re ongoing themes running throughout Western Civilization ever since the Renaissance (where we left off in Hum I). People are interested in culture, in art, in the plight of our world. We’re disillusioned with religion. We’re taking back our rights, we’re fighting for the working man. As a future teacher, I particularly love Blake’s preoccupation with children. In Songs of Innocence and Experience, Blake speaks about children constantly. They’re perfect to get across his points. Human nature is basically good, according to Blake. Children show us this, by being beautiful and innocent before they are ultimately corrupted. But they are also more vulnerable as a result, and this makes them much easier to exploit, as in both poems “Chimney Sweepers.” I love how Blake takes seemingly simple, pretty little poems about obedience to God and creates an undercurrent about the conniving practices of the Church and the cruel world of child labor. If you want to read Blake’s work to feel fuzzy or appreciate his beautiful musical words, that’s fine. But if you go beyond that just an inch, you’ll uncover a scathing social commentary that can inform us even today. Blake acts as society’s conscience, highlighting things that just don’t seem right. Blake is an advocate for the working man, for children, for justice. He’s not okay with the way things are going and he’s going to tell us about it. I love and admire that bravery, that beautiful mindfulness of fairness and mercy and humanity.

Maybe you don’t like Blake because poetry is not your thing, and I understand that (Math is not mine), but just give him a chance, please. His words speak to us in a place we can still understand today: oppression, fairness, mercy, beauty, love, innocence, corruption. We all know these things, and it makes sense: we’ve all had experience. We’ve been on both sides. Tell me what college student can’t relate to “The Garden of Love”?

I went to the Garden of Love,

And saw what I never had seen;

A Chapel was built in the midst,

Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut

And “Thou shalt not,” writ over the door;

So I turned to the Garden of Love

That so many sweet flowers bore.

And I saw it was filled with graves,

And tombstones where flowers should be;

And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,

And binding with briars my joys and desires.

Who of us has not felt the shame and oppression placed on our desires and joys by the Church, our parents, society? Who has not seen the Chapel with “thou shalt not” written over the door? Have we not experienced this refusal of joy and love? Have we not seen love painted black and shown as a place littered with evil and death? I think we all have. Blake is talking about the working class of Marx’s generation, he’s talking about the human rights denied to those in Maus, and he’s talking about you.

TB