Welcome to this month's reading group selection. David Von Drehle mentions The Melting Pot , a play by Israel Zangwill, that premiered on Broadway in 1908. At that time theater was accessible to a broad section of the public, not the exclusive domain it has become over the decades. Zangwill carried a hopeful message that America was a place where old hatreds and prejudices were pointless, and that in this new country immigrants would find a more open society. I suppose the reference was more an ironic one for Von Drehle, as he notes the racial and ethnic hatreds were on display everywhere, and at best Zangwill's play helped persons forget for a moment how deep these divides ran. Nevertheless, "the melting pot" made its way into the American lexicon, even if New York could best be describing as a boiling cauldron in the early twentieth century. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America takes a broad view of events that led up the notorious fire, not...
For some reason, I do not recall this movie or the story. It is available on you tube and I will see it soon as it sounds rather intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the film at the time as well. There have been a couple remakes, including one in B&W to give a more sinister feel I guess.
ReplyDeleteI've seen two film versions, but the story--as good as it is--just doesn't seem to translate all that well to the screen.
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