One of the more interesting aspects of the novel Emma by Jane Austen is the difference in cultures between when it was written and now. The first reason, and why there are so many differences, is because this novel was written approximately 200 years ago. The way we react to time and our nearby surroundings now is so different than what takes place in the novel it is almost hard to imagine.
The way time is presented in this novel is completely foreign to me. While the events happen chronologically, they are not defined by a specific time. For instance, there is no mention of what time of day it is in the novel, except for meal times and sleeping. However, neither of these events are designated a specific time, but rather a general stretch of time. The reason why this is difficult for me to imagine is because our lives are hugely affected by what time of day it is now. I have classes at a specific time of the day, the dining hall and other restaurants are only open certain hours, and the same is true for all of the people in my life. Furthermore, the novel also seems to disregard dates. It makes note of major dates, such as Christmas, but the specific date of the novel seems unimportant. From a writing standpoint, I see how it is not important to write specific dates unless it is important to the story. Yet the date is just as important to us as the time of the day. So many different events happen in cities and in the suburbs that the date is important to recognize what is going on. Some of this can be excused since it doesn’t appear that dates are important to the novel, though.
The way that the area around the characters is portrayed is more similar to our current world than the way time was, but it is still noticeably different. The characters do not venture away from their neighborhood, and even only leave their homes on occasion. However, this is pretty similar to the way we live now. I spend most of my day in my house, well my dorm, unless I have classes or group work. The only other time I leave my “house” is if I’m meeting people, which they do in the novel, or if I’m going out for an event. This is the key differentiation from their time, as there have been no events that didn’t involve meeting people in the novel. An important thing to note, though, is that a distance of 16 miles (from Emma’s home to London) seems remarkably far to the characters in the book. My house is 25 miles from downtown Atlanta and yet it is technically listed as a suburb of Atlanta. While we do have the means of traveling at greater speeds due to cars, the difference between then and now is astounding.
Looking at Emma from a modern viewpoint is difficult as the way they define their existence is vastly different from the way we do. Moreover, understanding these distinctions helps understand slightly more of the novel and why their world seems so different.
Eric Carl
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Rural to Urban
In the 1800's, the world was centered around rural realities; however, in the 21st century, the world is centered around urban culture. This can be shown by examining the society found in Jane Austin's Emma, and also by analyzing the society we face today. The pre-industrial culture found in Emma focuses on a small-town rural lifestyle, while culture today is centered around urban cities. Technological advancements have contributed significantly to the shift toward an urban way of life.
In Jane Austen's novel, Emma's life was centered about a few mile radius around her house. Her day-to-day acquaintances all live within walking distance, or a distance that can be traveled by horse and carriage . Social events in this time included visits to close friends and dinner parties, both of which are found in Emma. Not only was Emma's social life centered around her house, her education took place in her house too. Emma's instruction consisted not of formal schooling, but instead, a close friend taught her in the comfort of her home. This sort of lifestyle was common in that time period due to technological constraints. Without the convenience of cars or local trains, traveling large distances was not only difficult but nearly impossible for a large portion of the population.
Since the 19th century, technology has contributed to the shift from a rural to an urban lifestyle. Improved transportation, quicker and easier communication, and the spread of knowledge has facilitated the growth of cities across the world. An urban lifestyle is desired in the 21st century because of the availability of a variety of professions, the resources located in a city, and amount of people that live in a city. After I graduate from college, I hope that I will live and work either in or near a city. It seems as though Emma simply desires to live in the countryside forever, and that could not be further away from my goals in life. Technology has changed the aspirations of many in the past two centuries.
In the 200 years that have passed since Emma Woodhouses's time, education has changed significantly. Instead of being educated at home, the majority of people leave their houses to become educated. In the 21st century, from the time a person is about five years old, he leaves his house to attend a place of education. Yes, there still are children who are homeschooled, but the majority of children are educated in public and private schools across the country. I am proof of this shift from rural to urban movement. My parents live in a suburb of Atlanta, and after I completed high school, I left my semi-urban lifestyle to be educated at a major university in one of the largest cities in America. Unlike Emma, whose life is almost completely centered around a rural reality, my life is centered around an urban reality.
I can't fathom spending the majority of my life within in a two mile radius. I enjoy the freedom of having the opportunity of being able to travel virtually anywhere in the world. I am thankful for the technological advancements that have allowed me to do so, and I enjoy my urban lifestyle.
Andrew Corbitt
In Jane Austen's novel, Emma's life was centered about a few mile radius around her house. Her day-to-day acquaintances all live within walking distance, or a distance that can be traveled by horse and carriage . Social events in this time included visits to close friends and dinner parties, both of which are found in Emma. Not only was Emma's social life centered around her house, her education took place in her house too. Emma's instruction consisted not of formal schooling, but instead, a close friend taught her in the comfort of her home. This sort of lifestyle was common in that time period due to technological constraints. Without the convenience of cars or local trains, traveling large distances was not only difficult but nearly impossible for a large portion of the population.
Since the 19th century, technology has contributed to the shift from a rural to an urban lifestyle. Improved transportation, quicker and easier communication, and the spread of knowledge has facilitated the growth of cities across the world. An urban lifestyle is desired in the 21st century because of the availability of a variety of professions, the resources located in a city, and amount of people that live in a city. After I graduate from college, I hope that I will live and work either in or near a city. It seems as though Emma simply desires to live in the countryside forever, and that could not be further away from my goals in life. Technology has changed the aspirations of many in the past two centuries.
In the 200 years that have passed since Emma Woodhouses's time, education has changed significantly. Instead of being educated at home, the majority of people leave their houses to become educated. In the 21st century, from the time a person is about five years old, he leaves his house to attend a place of education. Yes, there still are children who are homeschooled, but the majority of children are educated in public and private schools across the country. I am proof of this shift from rural to urban movement. My parents live in a suburb of Atlanta, and after I completed high school, I left my semi-urban lifestyle to be educated at a major university in one of the largest cities in America. Unlike Emma, whose life is almost completely centered around a rural reality, my life is centered around an urban reality.
I can't fathom spending the majority of my life within in a two mile radius. I enjoy the freedom of having the opportunity of being able to travel virtually anywhere in the world. I am thankful for the technological advancements that have allowed me to do so, and I enjoy my urban lifestyle.
Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Penguin. 1815. Print.
Andrew Corbitt
Space and its Many Points of View
In today’s modern world, methods of transportation are abundant. Although in general there are only two options – a form of public transportation, or your own private vehicle. Having lived in the suburbs of Atlanta for most of my life, the first time I had ever taken any form of public transportation was when I was 18 years old. If I ever needed to go somewhere, I would always take a car. I have a whole plethora of options within a 15 minute car ride from my house. With that being said, it has always been somewhat difficult to properly imagine what life must have been like before cars, buses, trains, airplanes, or even the stream boat. For me what may be simply a five minute car ride would have been for my ancestors half a day’s walk! It makes me wonder exactly how technology has altered our modern view point of space.
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| Figure 1: www.qualitytrading.com/illusions/girlwoman.html |
Because of modern inventions, such as cars, I don’t have to worry so much about the distance of my destination as much as I must worry about how long it will take to reach my destination. It may be faster with my own car, with the bus, or with a train, but in the end I know already know about how long each method will take me and which is the better option time wise. To be more specific, when choosing a method of transportation, the distance is not so much of a factor in choosing one of these methods, as much as the time each of the different methods will need to reach the destination. Because cars, buses, and trains can travel for long distances without stopping (excluding stops for fuel or human necessities), the distance between two points of interest is almost irrelevant! That is not to say that time is not relative to distance, but that due to our modern forms of transportation, the distance of 30 miles, for example, will not be a burden to travel.
However the opposite can be said of our ancestors. To them the distance of five miles, may be the most any of them were willing to travel in a day. With the only means of transportation available being your own two feet and possible a carriage or bicycle, having to travel further than five miles would have been an inconvenience. Their space was limited to the distance they were able to walk in a day. This perspective of space is totally different to our modern viewpoint. As a result of this different viewpoint, their perception of time was also altered. Because they can physically not travel as quickly as we can, their lives were a little bit “slower” than ours. That is not to say it was leisurely, but they may not have put so much emphasis on completing a task with in a specific time period.
Modern technology has made it easier and faster to complete multiple tasks within a 24 hour time period. I personally do not think of the physical distance a destination is, but rather how long it will take to arrive there by car. My great-grandfather, on the other hand, most likely put more emphasis on the distance of a destination before deciding to travel or not.
- Katherina Delgado
- Katherina Delgado
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Eric Carl
The ideas presented in Digital Nation gave me a lot of food for thought. The movie went over a great deal of the effects of electronics and electronic media in today’s world. The major effects that were listed were the inability of people to disconnect from their electronics and a possibly desensitized view of our world.
The video primarily focused on the inability of people to separate themselves from their electronics. A starting point of the video showed MIT students who were unable to abstain from using their laptops, phones, or even iPods for the length of their classes. The reason the video stated as to why this is important is because it prevents people from focusing. Honestly, I’m inclined to agree. The movie showed tests where people were under similar conditions to “multitasking”, much like using their phones or computers during a lecture. The results were that the students were worse at each task while multitasking than while focusing on one thing. When I personally try to multitask I notice a drop-off in my abilities as well. Looking at how this affects us, we can see that the students in question are not very different from the students here at Georgia Tech. When I look around my classes I see students using electronics just as the students at MIT. Sometimes they are using it productively, but sometimes (and I know I’m subject to this) the media is being used as a distraction rather than a helper. Being able to unplug ourselves from our electronics would help solve this issue.
One of the great advantages these electronics provide us is the ability to communicate with people across continents either via email, phone, or even video chatting. Similarly, the internet gives people to see things across the world that they would otherwise be unable to see. I see this as a great technological advancement, as it allows people to learn more. However, the video does see some negatives to this kind of technology as well. This kind of technology, which originated with the military, is also being furthered by the military. The new technology allows for the military to remotely control vehicles which are primarily used for viewing , but can be used as a weapon as well. This technology is very useful from a tactical standpoint, but it removes much of the human element. While it possibly gives better information and is more useful, the video brings up the point that a soldier may act differently if they were at the scene as opposed to viewing it remotely. This idea, that people will act differently depending on whether or not they are actually there, is not new, but it holds weight. A response on Facebook may be markedly different than one someone would give in person. Hopefully this will not be the case in the future, as this would mean people would recognize electronics as tools, not as separate from the “real world”.
Its somewhat ironic that electronics can be seen as an alternate world while some people have the inability to distance themselves from those electronics. Still, with the advancements being made in technology it’s important to remember that technology is merely a tool to make our lives better, and should not be allowed to define our existence.
The video primarily focused on the inability of people to separate themselves from their electronics. A starting point of the video showed MIT students who were unable to abstain from using their laptops, phones, or even iPods for the length of their classes. The reason the video stated as to why this is important is because it prevents people from focusing. Honestly, I’m inclined to agree. The movie showed tests where people were under similar conditions to “multitasking”, much like using their phones or computers during a lecture. The results were that the students were worse at each task while multitasking than while focusing on one thing. When I personally try to multitask I notice a drop-off in my abilities as well. Looking at how this affects us, we can see that the students in question are not very different from the students here at Georgia Tech. When I look around my classes I see students using electronics just as the students at MIT. Sometimes they are using it productively, but sometimes (and I know I’m subject to this) the media is being used as a distraction rather than a helper. Being able to unplug ourselves from our electronics would help solve this issue.
One of the great advantages these electronics provide us is the ability to communicate with people across continents either via email, phone, or even video chatting. Similarly, the internet gives people to see things across the world that they would otherwise be unable to see. I see this as a great technological advancement, as it allows people to learn more. However, the video does see some negatives to this kind of technology as well. This kind of technology, which originated with the military, is also being furthered by the military. The new technology allows for the military to remotely control vehicles which are primarily used for viewing , but can be used as a weapon as well. This technology is very useful from a tactical standpoint, but it removes much of the human element. While it possibly gives better information and is more useful, the video brings up the point that a soldier may act differently if they were at the scene as opposed to viewing it remotely. This idea, that people will act differently depending on whether or not they are actually there, is not new, but it holds weight. A response on Facebook may be markedly different than one someone would give in person. Hopefully this will not be the case in the future, as this would mean people would recognize electronics as tools, not as separate from the “real world”.
Its somewhat ironic that electronics can be seen as an alternate world while some people have the inability to distance themselves from those electronics. Still, with the advancements being made in technology it’s important to remember that technology is merely a tool to make our lives better, and should not be allowed to define our existence.
Andrew Corbitt
Technological developments have become the defining moments and framework of society. Stephen Kern's book, The Culture of Space and Time describes the dramatic change from a now antiquated society to a much more modern age. Stephen Kern writes , "Technological developments are temporally specific events that often affect great numbers of people and as they are a compelling source for historical explanation. To avoid a monocausal technological determinism in cultural history, it is essential to clarify precisely how technology and culture interact." Kern's book specifically discusses changes people experienced during in the late 19th and early 20th century. The adoption of a standard time and the invention of the telegraph are examples of such "developments." As Kern suggests, these developments can affect large numbers of people and interact uniquely with culture. Standard time was initially slow to be adopted despite the obvious economic advantage it provided. Train systems found in Europe are an example of a delayed acceptance and reduced economic benefit. Trains would often run at low capacity or delay to given passengers more time to board, both do not maximize profits. Once an absolute standard time was accepted, the invention of the telegraph then made it possible to transmit the time across the world for standardization. The telegraph provided communication between different populations despite geographical location. This innovation marks a historical forefront that leads to electric communication on a public level.
While Kern's book refers to the early 20th century, his analysis provides much insight into technological advances in modern society. The PBS movie Digital Nation explores the relationship between technology and culture. Modern society is constantly developing with new electronic devices and networking sites. Opposed to Kern's selected time period, modern society is quick to try out, and accept advancements despite positive or negative effects. The PBS movie investigates college students and the relationship they experience with modern technology. Students were found to believe that they were able to check email, text their friends, check facebook, watch television and do their homework at the same time. This was the perception of one college culture. A study however showed just the opposite, that students were less able to perform higher level tasks while being distracted by electronic means.
Another relationship society experiences with modern technology is social networking sites, online games, and virtual worlds. Rather than the conventional face to face interactions and conversations, society can now conduct everything from business to pleasure in an online virtual atmosphere. Social networking sites such as facebook or match.com create virtual environments for people to meet, plan, and interact with each other, companies like IBM can now conduct business online in virtual worlds and simulate a business meeting. This online 'virtual world' facilitates communication between its employees regardless of geographical position. While these online communication hubs are convenient, certain aspects of social mannerisms are lost. Face to face interaction is still unique and cannot be accurately emulated in virtual outlets. Facial expressions, hand gestures, and appearance allow for us to judge and base our social interactions and decisions. Even in society today, Kern's analysis of development are consistent. Technology affects an even greater population than in the early 20th century and our culture is now defined by the technology we are so quick to adopt.
Sources:
Kern, Stephen. The Culture of Time and Space, 1880 – 1918. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print. Pages 1-35
Another relationship society experiences with modern technology is social networking sites, online games, and virtual worlds. Rather than the conventional face to face interactions and conversations, society can now conduct everything from business to pleasure in an online virtual atmosphere. Social networking sites such as facebook or match.com create virtual environments for people to meet, plan, and interact with each other, companies like IBM can now conduct business online in virtual worlds and simulate a business meeting. This online 'virtual world' facilitates communication between its employees regardless of geographical position. While these online communication hubs are convenient, certain aspects of social mannerisms are lost. Face to face interaction is still unique and cannot be accurately emulated in virtual outlets. Facial expressions, hand gestures, and appearance allow for us to judge and base our social interactions and decisions. Even in society today, Kern's analysis of development are consistent. Technology affects an even greater population than in the early 20th century and our culture is now defined by the technology we are so quick to adopt.
Sources:
Kern, Stephen. The Culture of Time and Space, 1880 – 1918. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print. Pages 1-35
Digital Nation. Dir. Rachel Dretzin. Perf. Douglas Rushkoff. Frontline, 2010. Documentary.
What is time and why do I need to know about it?
I have not known a moment since my conception when time did not regulate my life. The first moments of my life were catalogued by days, weeks, months, and trimesters. From my first breath, my daily life was organized by the nurses, and instinctively I knew when it was time for me to be fed. The only concept of time I knew was regulated by my digestive system and sleeping patterns. I had my own personal time.
Eventually I learned that the world ran on a certain standard of time, and I accepted it naturally. It became an extension of me. There was no questioning it, or wondering where the idea came from. To be honest, before reading The Culture of Time and Space, by Stephen Kern, I never had a reason to analyze the mystery and origin of time. After reading the many detailed definitions and various theories conceived by a plethora of philosophers, doctors, and scientists, some who I have heard about before and some who were complete strangers, I was still clueless as to why it was so important for them to define time. To me the thought of questioning time is such a foreign concept. To question time is like questioning God, its unthinkable!
At the beginning of the first chapter, Kern describes the early concept of time and why it suddenly became so important to regulate it. I was a little surprised to learn that such a significant concept as regulating time was initiated by the railroad system. It was very important for the railroad companies to come up with some sort of system to ensure that the train did not arrive late or depart late, which would result in a major loss in profits.
However, as important as it was for the private sector to regulate time, it really was the responsibility of the international governments. How could you initiate a “Standard Time” without the approval of the Federal government? Well, after the railways decided to switch, it was not long before the States began to follow in their lead. In England they developed Greenwich Mean Time, and in the Americas the Standard Time Zones, four in total for the US, were proposed at the Royal Canadian Institute. Some countries eagerly accepted standard time, while others such as France, were a little more resistant.
The adjustment between local time and standard time was at first very difficult. For many philosophers and scientists, the idea of regulating and standardizing the concept of time was difficult to accept. The main problem was how could there even be something such as standard time, when time itself was relative. Each person experiences their own time in correlation with their environment and their perception of the world. Time is relative. Einstein was the major supporter of this idea, and from the concept of time being relative, he created the Theory of Relativity. Such a major contribution to the world of physics was the result of one question - What is time?
Source:
Kern, Stephen. The Culture of Time and Space, 1880 – 1918. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print. Pages 1-35
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