Journal Entry #1

April 8^th, 2015

I found today’s lecture fascinating on many levels. As a new student at Evergreen, I am impressed by the seamless transition amongst academic disciplines that we oscillate between in each class. The part of today’s lecture that really got me thinking was how Napoleon’s government reacted to the revolutionary instability of the period, and how his policies effused French society to such resounding effect. I am a firm believer that the past exerts an unseen force on each of us and on each civilization, and has the ability to project its influence far into the future, in much the same way that gravity prescribes the orbit of celestial bodies. This is a part of why I find the study of history fascinating: more than just a recorded story it is a portal into the collective subconscious and a practical tool for interpreting present and future events.

Often times drawing parallels between modern society and the past can be murkier than Proust’s most convoluted recollection, but the mark on the present which the past leaves can come to define society as a whole just as the lingering effects of distant and transient memories can shape us as individuals. This is the root of why, in my memory project proposal, I described my secondary project idea in depth despite ultimately deciding on another. The idea was to connect historical texts with my relationship to my identity, experience, and memory.  There may be something to be gained by further reflection on these topics even if I won’t ultimately be able to spend as much time exploring the concept as I would like to.

It’s interesting that today’s discussion focused on so many different aspects of that specific era in France in order to demonstrate the interrelated phenomena of that period’s history, arts, culture, literature, and society. The way I see it it’s the overarching influence of the prevailing political and economic forces of the time that set in motion a chain reaction so potent that their reverberations are still felt to this day. Although as a society we have largely “forgotten”, or misremembered, the behavior of the bourgeois middle class in French society, they paved the way for the middle class of America in the present day. The parallels are clear. The divestment of the middle class from the values of hard work, productivity, and labor created a void in the lives of the bourgeois that came to be filled with consumerism and a ceaseless quest to attain status in the public sphere. The connection between one’s sense of self-worth and their social standing created insecurity and a compulsion for self-promotion which seeped into many aspects of life as the boundary between public and private affairs grew increasingly blurry. This way of life was pioneered over a hundred years ago in 19^th century France and perpetuate to the present day.

Just as knowledge of history helps us to understand contemporary society, so too does understanding the past both through the narratives of others and our own introspection help us to pave a brighter future for ourselves. As much as I care for Isabella, the subject of my memory project, a part of what compels me to record her story is the somewhat selfish desire to use her example for self-betterment. I see her as an impressive figure that has the potential to enrich the lives of anyone who crosses her path, and I intend to widen that path. By not only recording her story but interpreting and synthesizing it as a narrative that incorporates my own voice, I can demonstrate to the reader the value of each person’s personal history by recording our interactions and the impact we’ve had on one another beyond the simple re-telling of events. I’m looking forward to this project with great anticipation.