2-11-97

From our readings for Monday, we noticed that there was tension between the desire to have an authentic response to a natural setting which had previously been described, and the difficulty in having such an experience because of the wealth of information usually accompanying the popular "sights" of the day. The increase in tourism and the accessibility of "sublime" natural settings made an authentic reaction to it even more difficult.

Fuller uses some of the stock words common to the travel writing of the day. And though she achieves a "proper foreground for these sublime distances" she does so in her own way, the faithful observers "own standard by which to appreciate it." Similar to what Hawthorne suggests in his "trip to Niagara" Fuller quotes Hennepin's statement that "one should go to such a scene prepared to yield entirely to its influences, to forget one's little self and one's little mind." Fuller agrees with this statement but concedes that the process of forgetting oneself must be unconscious. On page 85 she confesses that "it was only after a daily and careless familiarity that I entered into its beauty, for nature always refuses to be seen by being stared at." And though this confession appears to be the type one can only come upon by accident she follows it by a story by Bonaparte which relates the same idea. Situated next to this story, her own experience is given validity and she feels "she had really seen these regions." The comparison of her own experience to an experience widely regarded as authentic gives her own experience a sense of authenticity.

What is interesting about Fullers writing is that although her initial intent seems on natural description and experiences of the sublime which are expected or desired of her time in travel, she tends toward descriptions of people. Her fascination lies in the stories of people who live in such "wild" parts. Her third and fourth chapters center the bulk of their information around characters she finds fascinating. She compares country charms to urban habits; she romanticizes the Indians understanding of and connection with nature. She doesn't doubt their knowledge of medicines developed from all the various flowers and plants. "They (the settlers) may blacken Indian life as they will, talk of its dirt, its brutality, I will every believe that the men who chose that dwelling-place (ancient Indian village) were able to feel emotions of noble happiness as they returned to it, and so were the women that received them. (100)"

Her concerns lie most in the lives of the women. She hopes for them an education suited to their situation. Too many women seem ill prepared for county life with their city educations. Her sketch of Mariana describes a comparable situation in which a woman, or girl, is ill suited to the expectations of her. She describes her to be a lively spirited, creative, unique girl who is defeated by societal expectations of and impositions on her. And as is described as a common trait of women's writing by Showalter, Mariana is defeated by these expectations and dies from the suppression of her thoughts. The endnotes claim that until the entrance of Sylvain, Mariana is a loosely autobiographically based character. Does Fuller feel that she avoided these dilemmas, sidestepped these premature decisions, by not marrying young? Does Fuller feel that she is in some ways still "ornamental?"

Fuller's ideas on the education of women is elaborated on in "Woman in the nineteenth century." Where does Fuller see herself in this scheme? She has creative outlet, a solid if not conventional education. She, unlike Mariana, breaks out of societies expectations of her and devises her own place.

The final thought which I thought we might explore was Fullers tendency to break into poetry throughout "Summer on the Lakes." As it was also for Emerson and Hawthorne, nature was a source of poetic inspiration. These conveniently accommodated the request for poetic associations in nature to help develop a national spirit. Though Fuller, Emerson and Hawthorne were out traveling and having "authentic" experiences of the sublime, so were their contemporaries. How much did the desire to form a national spirit and to provide poetic associations influence the creative output? Can we accept that any of their experiences were "authentic" after their knowledge of the especially sublime spots from other writers and artists or do we agree with Fuller that once one finds his or her own way of seeing something, the sight can be their own?