Ghost Map: initial reaction (Brenda D.)

One of the most fascinating parts of Ghost Map is the parallel between Sherlock Holmes and John Snow. Both men exhibit extraordinary abilities to problem solve through their respective scientific studies beginning with individual cases. Additionally, John Snow was unafraid to self-test. He valued doing countless experiments on animals and on himself in order to determine proper dosage of ether (despite his vow to never touch alcohol); realizing and taking into account the importance of temperature of the ether gas for regulation purposes. In contrast, to John Snows character, Henry Whitehead seems to be an alcoholic mixing “thimbles” of brandy into his water; ironically this concoction is better for his health as it kills the present bacteria in the water.

Jekyll and Hyde Transformation

This picture aptly characterizes the duplicitous personality of Dr Jekyll as one person. Hyde seems to be another entity entirely, as if Jekyll has become possessed by him. As the story continues it seem that this is so, especially after he no longer has control over his transformations. At this point he has become a split person and evil as taken him over. Hyde seems to be coming out of Jekyll as the monstrosity that he has created. In one way I feel that Hyde’s characterization of looking like a different person is good, however in the same light, they are supposed to be the same person with different personalities. So why should the inner evil be portrayed on the outside as a demonic looking creature? Then again, the entire point is to cover the reputation of the upright doctor. What better way to hide ones actions than with a disguise?

The World’s Fair

The documentary on the World’s Fair provided a fascinating account of its various sections. The Midway Plaisance was one of the most interesting exhibits. Because of its “low brow” entertainment, it was also the most frequented at the fair. Most of the people who visited that section never made it to the fair itself. The Machine Hall was one of the largest buildings; however due to its high decibel emission, most fair goers could only bear to be inside for a second. Instead they all enjoyed the energy that it produced in the form of thousands of lighted fountains and buildings without a thought to acknowledge how the energy was being produced. Little Egypt was also one of my favorite exhibits to learn about. They had a pyramid as well as a large bazaar. People could get into the exhibit for free however all of the attractions would cost them.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The 1932 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is more dramatized than Stevenson’s novella. In the book, less emphasis is placed on the “evil indulgences” of Hyde whereas the the movie depicted his misdeeds rather explicitly. The movie does this with the addition of two female characters-a prostitute and a fiancé. I agree with Tres when he describes the books as having a higher element of mystery. In comparison, the movie was more suspenseful and violent. I enjoyed both the book and the movie because I was always curious what Hyde would do next. This story as a whole was very interesting from the psycological aspect  because I saw  a lot of similarities between this story and The Devil and the White City.

Devil In the White City: part III

Part III provides a fascinating account of all of the innovation that the fair employed. With all of the best and brightest working together, technology  progressed by leaps and bounds. There was pipe lines for steam and running water. The first “electric” kitchens were displayed. And there was light. The best achievement was the Ferris Wheel. It was simply an engineering marvel and a Efile tower in its own right.

On the flip side of the beauty and excitement of the fair, the dark side still lurked ominously about the city. Holmes continues to murder countless women, and finally kills Minnie and her sister. Meanwhile, Burnham’s fair encounters yet more travesty including a fire in the Cold Storage that ruthlessly kills a number of firemen. Of course, Burnham is not at all held accountable as the fairs head honcho. To make things worse, a comity decides that they need to cut the amount of expenditures in the fair, despite Burnham’s avid fight to stop them. He knew that this would only lead to the fair’s imminent failure.

Devil in the White City: part II

In this section, I found the H. H. Holmes murders incredibly grotesque. By the end of the section, he is on his next victim–Minnie. Meanwhile, people are beginning to see through his charm, and he knows that his “time” is coming to an end. My favorite part of his investigation was when the creditors come to find their kiln/make-shift crematory. Upon its examination, they found a foot print inside. They theorize that his last chloroform victim, Julia, had stepped in acid, forced to do so by Holmes in order to speed up the amount of time it took for the oxygen to be used. This is to be the consequence and the dark side of the industrial revolution. Where women are living alone for the first time, weak and insecure, Holmes took advantage of this and exploits it.

Although Burnham has not found a means of out doing the Efile, he has something completely different: the ferris wheel. This invention, like everything else in the fair is not coming together quite as well as they would like. With constant storms, workers forming unions, and death, the fair is doomed to be a failure. Dedication day comes in the pouring rain, unsightly and disappointingly unfinished. In the same light, the fair was one of the greatest exhibitions of technology: pumped water, steam engines, fire hydrants, and the first spray paint.

Devil in the White City: part I

The first part of this book was rather interesting. I enjoyed the challenge of going back and forth between H. H. Holmes and the process of building the Worlds Fair in Chicago. I found it rather disterbing how everyone seems to accept Holmes as a nice young man, not-to-mention how all the women fell for his charm. His business developments parallel the construction of the worlds fair; he is continuously expanding his ventures  while the fair was always pushing to make up for their “lost time.” Each time the fair would gain an inch,  a storm or death would considerably set them back. Burnham desired to “out-Efile the Efile tower,” however cannot find anyone who can take on the task. On the other side of the story, Holmes seems to be restraining himself from his imminent desire to kill.

Master and Commander

Master and Commander begins on British fleet ship that is intercepted by a French war ship during the Napoleonic Wars. Following their near assimilation, Jack, the captain, is out for a military revenge. The majority of the documentary is spent rebuilding the ship and trying to find a way to defeat this French vessel. After a trip on the Galapagos islands, a young amputee along with the ship’s doctor, Stephan, present Jack with an insect with the ability to camouflage itself. From this, he is able to formulate a new plan of attack and defeat the French ship from behind. I enjoyed seeing the final battle, despite it’s long set-up, watching the development of the characters, and (as Nya pointed out) the contrast between the naturalist doctor and the militaristic commander.

book VII: Brenda Leigh Denny

With an attack of “flying balloons” and a fleet of ships, book seven begins. During this section, blood, nerves, and circulation is explored. This form of human science and anatomy is a touchy topic for some scientists of the time because their religion would not allow them to do formal autopsies on the human body. One part I found interesting was how different the scientists were. While Ismail and his ruler focus on the soul and its weight, other scientists are studying a more practical study–physiology.

At the end of the section, the world is on the brink of a multi-faceted war. All of the sections the were in contention with each other have built up their military technology and seem to be ready to fight.

A few references that should be considered include: blood and circulation, the Qing dynasty, the Manchu, and silk-worms.

The Day the World Took Off: One Day–Brenda Denny

This program discusses the reasons why the industrial revolution happened in Britain rather than a city in China or the Islamic Empire. The invention of the Rocket Steam Engine sparked a complete change in civilization as it was known in the 1800s—machines replacing people to do labor. Rather than people living on their own time, their lives were set by the rhythm of machines. They internalized the rhythm of the clock to such a point that they no longer had to reference their watches. In contrast to this new development in society, the people in China did saw “no need for unnecessary action”—quote on the emperor’s wall in the Forbidden City. While clocks had been know about for centuries, the only use that the emperor saw for them was to remind the guards to change shifts. One fact that I found interesting was that if frog legs were placed into a cup of water they would petrify, but when placed into a cup of tea they did not. tea acted as an “anti-bacterial” agent for their water as well as their digestive system. The practice of drinking tea, popular in both Britain and Japan, allowed them to survive and surpass the usual difficulty of population influx. Near the end of the documentary, they discuss how there cannot be development if people live in harmony with nature. The builder of the railroad between Manchester and Liverpool spent years leveling and altering the land in order to allow a flat path for his steam-engine. Thus, the connection between nature and people was diminished, as is the nature of a transient “time is money” culture.