Ghost Map 111-188 {Simone G.}

I though that the “all smell is disease” chapter amusing. It shows just how humanity was trying to grow in medicine and how they had many trials and errors to get to where we are today.The miasma theory is ridiculous but I guess at the time any explanation was better than none at all. Again Snow and others are having a hard time proving something that cannot be seen. Holmes had a more easier time trying to find clues because he would eventually “see” them. The situation is not the same for proving that v.cholerae is in the water.In my Govt 132 class we have been discussing about population overgrowth and Malthusian theories and I thought it was interesting how on page 115 Henry Mayhew saw waste recyling through Malthusian thinking.

I liked how Snow decides to make a map about the patterns of the deaths in London. He considers not only the death but foot patterns also. In a way he is making something similar to the modern day Google or Yahoo Maps. On page 173 Johnson mentions how Whitehead’s local knowlegde gave im an advantage. This is very similar to Holmes and how he an advantage over the police because he knew who to go to in order to find out information to assist him in a case.

The Ghost Map 57-109 {Simone Gaulman}

As the chlorea starts spreading, we are introduced to Dr John Snow. He also determined to figure out the cause of the chlorea. He doesn’t believe that the bacteria is spread through the air but thinks that it is spread through congestion (drinking contaminated water). He first discovered a form of anesthetic – ether. At first ether wasn’t used properly because users of ether didn’t take into account room temperature and how it effected the ether vapor (Johnson 64). In spite of complications ether was useful until chloroform – a better form of anesthetic – was founded.

After his success of anesthetics Dr Snow became engrossed in chlorea-related researched. He introduced his theory of the spreading of disease through congestion but not many accepted it whole heartedly. But it would explain why only certain parts of London were dying and its neighbors weren’t. At the time many were ignorant to concept of bacteria and thought that the disease was air-borne. The chlora bacteria was supposedly spreading because of the air in certain neighborhoods. To Snow it just didn’t make sense. He examined samples of water from different pumps and was surprised to find out that the contaminated water was clear and appeared harmless. He put alcohol in it and drank the chlorea-infected sample. Because alcohol kills bacteria he drank it unscathed.

He learned that southern areas of London that were being supplied contaminated water were dying off, while those who lived in northern areas that were supplied cleaner water remained fine. This fact continued to convince him of the water theory.

The bacteria spread so fast because of the large amount of people packed together in the small city. When people were spread apart sickness wasn’t spread so quickly because people weren’t in constant contact with one another. But with rooms averaging five people apiece and workers eating in the same area they went to the bathroom it’s no surprise chlorea came about.

A fact I thought was interesting was how the Great Exhibition of 1851 was briefly brought up. When we were studying the Great Exhibition for the guided research paper, we learned how many new inventions went on debut during the Exhibition. Toilets that flushed were introduced at the Exhibition and many were fascinated by it. However, the flushing only cause more water to contaminated.

The Ghost Map 1-55 {Simone Gaulman}

The Ghost is an interesting novel. I never really gave much thought about how cities developed and the importance of having a form of recycling. Reading about just how nasty London was had me wondering what it would be like if we still lived like that? I didn’t realize how old the concept of recycling was and how Rome had built its city from the old ruins. I also didn’t know that the Netherlands had the largest population in the world (Johnson 5) and that it had grown from putting waste back into the soil. I thought it was interesting how everything excretes waste. However what is waste to one thing is beneficial for something else. Algae that reside with the coral reefs “waste” oxygen but the coral uses the waste in it’s metabolic cycle (Johnson 7). As a human, I don’t consider oxygen to be waste but to the algae it is.

It was pretty disgusting when Johnson talked about how human feces just piled up. Artificial ponds were made from urine and human dung piled up as tall as houses. A lot of waste was thrown into the water creating breeding grounds for chlorea in the first place.

I didn’t know much about chlorea before reading this book and I think it’s kind of scary just how fast it reproduces, given that it is in the right environment. It reminds me of a biological weapon. However, I thought it was amusing how many thought it was in the air and how no one really believed in the bacteria theory. I guessed I probably wouldn’t have believed in something that I couldn’t see with my own two eyes.

It’s interesting how Whitehead, along with many others, are trying to figure out why more people are dying in the “clean” houses instead of the “dirty” houses. Sherlock Holmes had a more easier job because he had evidence that could be seen. Whitehead, however, is trying to prove something that can’t be seen with the naked eye. He uses his knowledge of London – like Holmes – to his advantage and he observes the patterns of the disease.

Another funny thing was how everyone put in their two cents about how to cure chlorea (spray the air with air freshener). Back then anyone could be published in the paper but all of the useless articles buried those with solutions that actually made since.

Extra Credit – 1941Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde {Simone G.}

As I’ve said before I liked the movie version better than the book but I liked the 1941 version even better. It seemed more fresh than the 1932 version. The film was more clearer, the actors better, and the overall atmosphere seemed more modern. I felt that the film was more Americanized just because of how actors said certain things. I also felt that the film gave us a clue of how society was at the time. In the 1932 public displays of affection weren’t shown very much but in the 1941 version displays of affection between Jekyll and his finance were more frequent. In the 1932 film Jekyll was also more respectful, scared even, of his finance’s father because he had a tight hold on Jekyll’s engagement. In the 1941 Jekyll seemed to joke with the father more, and the father just seemed like a more likable person once you got past his exterior. You can tell by watching the 1941 how society had developed more.

The transformations in the 1941 was a lot better. I didn’t like how in the 1932 version Jekyll resembled a monkey. It just didn’t seem realistic. If a monkey-like man was running around town I would be a bit concerned. The transformation in the 1941 version seemed more believeable. Hyde resembled Jekyll more so we know that Hyde comes from a inner part of Jekyll. Hyde was still creepy but he was not dehumanized. When Jekyll transformed in the 1941 it seems more of a dream sequence than what is described in the book and the 1932 film. He sees the two women he is torn between and pictures them as horses. I thought that was a bit strange. I think what triggers the transformations is when Jekyll is torn between something he would like to do but is not appropriate so Hyde comes out and does the evil for him. The transformations did not seem as if he was in pain in the 1941 film. I think the 1932 version tried to demonstrate the physical agony more but the 1942 version displayed more of the mental side in the transformation.

The one change I recognized the most was how Hyde died. In the book it seemed as if Jekyll killed Hyde and in the process killed himself. In the 1932 film a random policeman killed him and in the 1941 version the detective killed.

Overall I liked the 1941 film of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It kept my attention longer and it was more modernized so I felt that I could relate to it. Also I found it more believable because Hyde didn’t resemble a creature.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Transformation Image {Simone G.}

I think the picture of the transformation is similar to that of the movie and book. In the picture we see Jekyll and then Hyde kind of creeps out of him. Jekyll is portrayed as tall and handsome represents the good side himself. Hyde crouching over the way and his facial expressions gives off a bad feeling and shows that he is the evil side of Jekyll. In the book Jekyll mention about losing his height during the transformation and in the picture Hyde is shorter compared to Jekyll.

It’s interesting how in the picture Hyde is all wispy. It shows how Hyde is part of Jekyll and that he comes from an inner part of Jekyll. The movie also supported this because when he transformed Jekyll’s persona slowly stripped away revealing his inner “soul”. Hyde’s cringed face in the picture also resembles the pain Jekyll encounters during the transformation. During the movie, whenever Jekyll changed, his face always looked as if he was in pain. Jekyll talks about how painful the transformation was in the book also. Although I think even though he described it as painful in the book the movie helped me picture the transformation better.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde {Simone G.}

The movie was absolutely more entertaining than the book. The book I felt was dry and boring and it seemed like I was being dragged on and on for no reason. It was also a bit hard to get into right away. The movie was easier to follow along because instead of trying to imagine and understand what was going on I could see for myself how the plot unfolded. The movie was more comedic than the book and I found it easier to get into.

However, the downside to the movie was that we find out right off that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person. I liked that how in the book we were kept guessing until the last chapter. Because the book waited until the end I felt like it was more mysterious. The movie lacked this element because we knew already that Jekyll was Hyde. Unlike the book, the movie had more action and we were kept on the edge of our seats, waiting until the moment Jekyll was exposed leading up to the shocking ending.

World’s Fair {Simone}

After watching how the fair looked like it strucked that we’ve never had another thing like it. Sure we have Disney Land and museums but I would have liked to have been there so see all those items from around the world placed into one area for that main event. I thought that the Ferris Wheel was interesting because first, I’ve never been on one myself.  Second, because I’ve always wondered how they were made. I never was a big fan of heights and I remember reading about the first test run of the Ferris Wheel and how bolts and screw can raining down. I would never want to get on something that is not secure. However, the Ferris Wheel was a hit and must have taken lots of designing to make it right.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde {Simone}

The book was somewhat interesting because we were dragged along throughout the book, trying to figure out exactly who Mr Hyde is and find out what Dr Jekyll was hiding. A lawyer named Mr Utterson hears about Mr Hyde trampling a little girl from his friend Mr. Endfield. He learns also that Hyde tried to pay off the family using Jekyll’s check. This is when the mystery gets set into motion. Utterson goes to Hyde’s place and tries to talk to him but to no avail. He goes to Jekyll’s house and asks him about the mysterious man but Jekyll wants him to drop it. However, he wants Utterson to promise to help Hyde on his behalf.

Throughout the rest of the book we see Utterson coming closer to figuring out this strange mystery. When a man is brutally murdered he returns to Jekyll’s house and find that the doctor is becoming ill. When he returns again he finds that the doctor had locked himself up in a cabinet. Utterson breaks the door down and and finds the body of Hede. He thinks that Jekyll had escaped only to find a letter that explains to him that Jekyll is Hyde and that the doctor had designed a potion that released one’s inner soul.

Master and Commander {Simone G}

Master and Commander is about a British ship being attack by a superior French one and a man’s obsession with getting revenge. He goes after the French vessel across thousands of miles of sea which resulted in a final showdown. However, this time the British was the victor. Throughout the movie, I was reminded of some of the material that we have read in class. When Capt. Aubrey received a model of the French vessel he seemed impressed with it just like the Ottoman Sultan did in Years of Rice and Salt Book 7. The French ship was obviously advanced for that time and he even referred to it as “modern technology”. I never realized how much it took to run a ship and watching the movie I noticed that the crew consisted of alot of men. I also noticed how the sailors were very superstitious, blaming that one person because they did not have any wind. I thought it was interesting how the captain was teaching the younger ones about astronomy. He was teaching them about zenith and that when the sun is directly above it is noon.

When the doctor was operating of the man’s brain was pretty amusing. Obviously surgery had not been seen by many and all the sailors were watching forming a type of autopsy theater. When it came time to take out the larger French ship, the British strategy was to take out the hull. I was reminded again of Book 7 and how the Sultan commented about if he punctured a whole in the hull of the steel ship it would sink.

Overall I liked the movie and thought that it was very good.

Industrial Revolution (Simone G.)

In this clip we learn about the industrial age in Manchester. Manchester was overcrowded and dirty. Privacy was a luxury. Jobs were scarce and malnourished children had dangerous job in the cotton factories. An American visitor even commented on how bad the city was and was glad that he did not grow up poor in Manchester. Mary Barton wrote a book trying to open up others’ eyes to what was really going on.

Although the clip was not on a happy note I did not realize that Manchester had started off so badly.