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, noting the gro
Strange how I never made it to the Cloisters even though I played paddleball at Ft Tryon park which is not too far away.
ReplyDeleteHowever, made it several times to the Met where you can see the world's GREATEST painting, "Thanatopsis":
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/20011144
The greatness of this painting will NEVER be equaled or even approached.
A thought occurred to me re the book I am currently reading: "The Double Bind" by Chris Bohjalian.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm only up to p 95, I was reminded of "Thanatopsis" because of the funeral scene and, while both are in a sense a study of death, there is much life affirmation in them. The settings and imagery are strikingly similar with hills, mountains, waterways, winding roads, birds flying overhead, sun rising or setting, Victorian era, mournfulness, etc. Yet, there is the promise of some hope.
How interestng that Gintaras posts the topic of the Met when I'm reading this very intriguing book.
The Met is a treasure trove. I suppose we have J.P. Morgan to thank for a large part of it.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time in American history when the very wealthy believed it was in the national interest (and thus theirs) to share the wealth and culture with the new generation of immigrants.
ReplyDeletePlus, there was a real estate development component to the placement of the building -- I don't remember the exact details but as I recall that was in the country back then.
Also, such public benevolence quieted down talk of antitrust laws in those days.
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