ENGL 7453: Modernism In/And the Archive

After reading the Crisis Vol. 5 No. 4, it seems like the magazine has a two-fold rhetorical purpose: highlight the achievements by and within the black community, and political arguments that articulate/publicize the injustices facing that community—there is a persuasive angle toward racial progress, ending discrimination and violence, etc. The magazine first highlights various accomplishment and important members of the black community, then argues against and addresses injustices, and then ends by highlighting achievements by the community. I’m not sure the rhetorical effect of ordering the content in this way; but one observation I can make is that this structure roughly follows the structure of the slave narrative: establishes humanity of author, then chronicles the loss of humanity (caused by slavery and racial discrimination/violence), and then ends with the narrator finding humanity again. Note: I’m not taking into account the function/effect of the advertising pages that bookend the issue.

One thing that’s interesting is James Weldon Johnson’s function in this issue-- to span and transition between highlighting members of the black community and the political arguments against American racism. He is first introduced in the “Men of the Month” column (pp 171-2) as “one of the most promising figures in Negro-American literature.” The editors mention his recent publication of “Fifty Years” on the front page of the NYT and then give a brief biography. The majority of this short passage is dedicated to his artistic achievements as first a song writer and then as a literary figure—“more serious writing.” The Crisis primes us to understand Johnson as an author with the potential for “epoch making.” The poem “Father, Father Abraham” follows this introduction and, like the introduction, frames Johnson as an apolitical author. The focus is on the aesthetic quality of his writing. The poem is religious and follows a tight rhyme scheme and metrical form.

The very next page of the magazine is the “Opinion” (p 173) section wherein lies the bulk of the persuasive, argumentative content. The section opens with an “Emancipation” subsection, and Johnson’s poem is quoted at the beginning, highlighting now his political writing. The section of the poem that’s quoted alludes directly to violence enacted on the black body (“spirit bowed beneath the blow… wounds and stings… brutish might/That strikes…”). There is an overriding sense of “despair,” of progress not made. And the poem ends with the suggestion that previous efforts toward emancipation will continue, and that “God” won’t let those strivings “come to naught.” This is a directly political poem, one that contrasts directly with Johnson’s biographical sketch before and the “Father, Father Abraham” poem. The question is why the Crisis sets up Johnson first as an artist and then as a political writer? Why shape the audience’s understanding of Johnson in this way? On a functional level, Johnson is used to transition between sections in the magazine. How does this structure, though, shape the audience's reading of argumentative content of the opinion section?

In Robert Scholes and Clifford Wulfman's Modernism in the Magazines: An Introduction, the authors bring up discussion about how advertisements in the early twentieth century (and late, late nineteenth century) were beginning to influence the organization and content of magazines. Of course, the argument can be made that the reverse is true: advertisements, being a necessity for many magazines to keep costs low, were influenced by the content of magazines themselves. Certainly, little magazines kept their interests literary, as seen in the predominantly literary ads of The Freewoman and The New Freewoman. However, in the case of magazines such as Scribner's--with their larger audience--whole sections were dedicated "to situate and enhance the ads themselves" (Scholes and Wulfman).

This is apparent in the February 1913 edition of Scribner's, in which the entire edition is based around automobiles. In fact, the magazine reads as a not-so-subtle (today, at least, where there are cars aplenty) advertisement to intice readers to buy cars. In Scribner's "Index to Advertisements," it says, "Scribner's was one of the first periodicals in the country to publish the advertisement of an automobile. . . You can hardly fail to be interested in the attractive motor announcments in this number. Scribner's recommends these manufacturers to you" (2). Following this is not only a list of manufacturers, but a promise that mentioning Scribner's to these manufacturers will be beneficial (2). The rest of the magazine includes illustrated images of cars on mountaintops or black and white photographs of vehicles trudging through different environments. In short, it is clear that this magazine has not only embraced advertisements, but has found a way to incorporate these ads rather than to allow them to appear wholly unrelated (and unappealing, perhaps). In fact, Ralph D. Paine's article "Discovering America by Motor" reads as both engaging prose (for readers of John Steinbeck, it feels reminiscent of his later memior Travels with Charlie in Search of America) and a buyer's guide that promises safety and adventure. Ezra Pounds disdain for advertisements in magazines might not have been wholly unfounded, as in Scribner's case, but the fine line between advertisements and prose is an interesting prospect in itself. Only, however, if my endorsement of its study does not read as an ad itself.

Advertising’s compulsory nature has ensnared the subject so totally as to become ceaseless. Total advertisement has steered perception itself toward its sole object: the commodity. By simple animal recognition, looking and listening earn their fetish character by being put forcibly into service of the commodity. As Joyce understood in Finnegans Wake, even if one manages to close their eyes and plug their ears, culture still intrudes. Its vessel is the ad. Advertisement is omnipotent. It’s thus unsurprising that Joyce’s Leopold Bloom is an advertising canvasser. The canvasser’s day is the daytime of modernity itself: the daylit rush to illuminate everything at once under the bright lights of the market. Lewis understood as much. Blast incorporates the aesthetics of advertisement to make aggression and exclusion essentially saleable. Like the radio, the magazine, a technology of industrial modernity has its own set of ideological claims and interests. Advertisement enlists art to serve the commodity. Still, the ad is hardly rhetorically empty. The story of Tiffany and Co. in Scribner’s, for example, isn’t marginal to the fiction, but attends it. Reflexively, the serial novel, efficient and consumable, aspires toward the condition of the ad. Scribner’s two glossaries—one for literature and one for advertisement— proves their fixed relation, as though to invite the reader to pick their poison, or, to quote Ecclesiastes: “All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust” (3:20).

            In The Crisis Vol. 19 No. 3 there is an article on page 120 titled “The Optimist” by Ethyl Lewis that reflects on the motivations of African Americans at the time and during the war. It mentions how the war is tough and gruesome, but they must hold out because they are fighting for a future where African Americans are respected and have equal rights. While the piece tries to be optimistic about their goals, there are some depressing reality checks such as when it mentions “the country you love despised you so” (Lewis 120). This reminds the audience that there is still oppression against African Americans at this time and how they need to still fight. The article also appeals to the audience through religious diction or religious allusions.

            People also tried to escape the war’s effects such as in Others Vol. 5 No. 4 in an entry titled “Vegetable Store” by Helen Hoyt on page 16 where Helen clearly depicts vegetables. This appreciation of food may originate from the lack of food during the war due to rationing and in describing the food, Helen also occasionally uses comparisons that have war-related diction. This includes a comparison to “spears and lances,” and “prickly foreignness,” where the weapons are obvious, but the foreignness could relate to the battle being overseas (Hoyt 16). While trying to stay away from the topic of war, the diction in these comparisons could also be used when describing parts of WW1. The idea of describing a vegetable store itself is an escape from the depressing war topic as it is civilian focused. WW1 had a major impact on everything in the world and literature was no exception even if it tried to stay away from the topic.

                                                                   Works Cited

Hoyt, Helen. “Vegetable Store.” Others, vol. 5, no. 4, 1 March 1919, pp. 16

Lewis, Ethyl. “The Optimist.” The Crisis, vol. 19 no. 3, 1 January 1920, pp. 120

     After World War One, the world was in shambles because of the immense trauma and pain it caused. A few changes, made evident by modernist magazines such as Scribner's Vol. 65 No. 1 and The Little Review Vol. 6 No. 1, were the rise of women workers and the beginning of prohibition.

     In Scribner's, there is an article by W. Gilman Thompson titled "Women and Heavy War Work," which highlights how women had to work because all of the men were out fighting the war. Women were starting to become more respected as a part of the workforce because the war proved that "women can do men's heavy work" just as effectively as men (Thompson 116). The fact that the war required women to work caused a progression in the societal perspective of them because it proved they were capable of working, which also aided the women's suffrage movement. 

     As well as furthering the women's movement, the aftermath of the war brought prohibition to the United States. In The Little Review, John Butler Yeats argues that prohibition will hinder people's artistic expression. Because they have been so traumatized by the war, people need some substance to ease the pain and reality in order to create art, which Yeats believes is alcohol. Prohibition began in 1920, so Yeats foreshadows the incoming threat to conservation in his argument. 

The "Our Soldiers" section of an advertisment for the N.A.A.C.P on pages 75-76 posted in Vol. 16, No. 2 (the June 1st, 1918 issue) of The Crisis shows the discrimination and lack of respect that many African Americans dealt with. Many African American volunteers were relegated to the "'service' battalions" or forced to be "servadors and common laborers" instead of being allowed to fight. Many faced discrimination and suspicion, with the Crisis suggesting that some were being wrongfully accused or punished very harshly. The N.A.A.C.P. shows that they're fighting more than just physically by mentioning an attempt to get a Secretary to keep a Colonel from being retired, and talking about an ongoing case involving the arrest of a regiment of African American soldiers. Just getting volunteers into the military also seems to be an issue. African Americans sometimes weren't allowed to be in the same training camp as their white peers, and were forced to make and go to their own. "Railroad discrimination" is also mentioned, showing that transportation was made a problem for African Americans as well. Overall, both a general lack of respect and discrimination made life in the military difficult for African American soldiers, but the N.A.A.C.P. retains a hopeful tone throughout - you can see that they think things are getting better.

In the magazine, "The Crisis", Vol. 16, No. 2 made on June 1st 1918, edited by Du Bois, and W.E Burghardt, an article titled,"The Late Major Walker" on page seventy-seven describes the life of James Walker before his death serving the military and some issues that blacks faced in World War One. The article goes on to talk about where he graduated, then becoming a principle for twenty four years. It then goes on to talk about his service in the military, in which he became First Lieutenant, then Captain, and then Major and his task was to guard the White House. He became sick and died at Fort Bayard. This then leads to one of the issues of African American people as even though he was a Major, he did not receive a proper military burial. This could speak to the racist tendencies of society at the time, even in World War One America. This article is also a good example of how the African American people strive to be patriotic and to prove themselves comes with how the Major taught patriotism in schools. His teaching helped a lot of kids along the way in that part of their adolescence. This aarticle overall speaks to the humanity of the African American people and how they strive for patriotism and signs of racial discrimination, in one article detailing the life of Major Walker.

During World War I, African Americans were invested in fighting the war to gain the right to vote, however, their efforts led to a rise in racism concerning the recognition of their efforts as soldiers. In Vol. 16 No. 2 of The Crisis, from June 1918, an article called "The Looking Glass" contains a story under the subheading "The Awakening South," which provides a clear example of Americans' failure to recognize African American efforts for the war. In Albany, Georgia, some women decided to create "a service flag bearing a star for every white Albanian who has entered the military," not including the African American soldiers as well (69). The women are discrediting the African American men who enlisted because they do not want to recognize the effort that they have contributed to fighting. African Americans are more "patriotic" than ever at this point, and by devaluing them by not recognizing their worth as soldiers, the white ladies in Albany are displaying how racist the South is.

Under another subheading of "The Looking Glass," "The Negro Soldier," the author claims that African Americans "responded more universally and cheerfully" to enlisting than "the white men," confirming the patriotism that they felt during the war (68). They saw the war as a fight for equality, explaining why they were so eager to fight it; however, the white Americans disregarded everything that the African Americans worked for. Even though the African American community at the time wanted to fight for their equality, they would not receive it until decades later.

   While African Americans faced lots of problem in American society at this time, these problems also carried into the war. Inside The Crisis Vol. 16 No. 2 published June 1st, 1918, the article "A Sonnet to Negro Soldiers" on page 64 helps show the problems faced by African Americans going into WWI. Many continued to face discrimination in training camps, but they also wanted to rise "from the blows cast down the thorn Of Prejudice" (64). By signing up for the military, many African Americans wished to show the patriotism and respect they have. They hoped to earn respect that would remove prejudice and give them more rights. While serving, many African Americans also wished to be "a glorious sign," for the other African Americans back home and give them hope of a brighter future. Those who didn't go to war also held hope that the African Americans that did will cause things to change socially for the better. Unfortunately, many of the prejudices held by society will continue for years after WWI which is disappointing when looking back upon this issue.

It could be surprisingly difficult to find items discussing racism (or lack of it) in modernist magazines. Interestingly, it was also more difficult to find articles centered around black people than I anticipated; I found a lot more articles on other races. I found a decent amount of material in The Masses and The New Age, however. Both Volume 1, No. 7 of The New Age (article "A New Outlook in India") and Volume 6, No. 3 of The Masses ("Race Nonsense Again") had articles against racism. 

Both A New Outlook in India and Race Nonsense Again use a mixture of pathos, logos, and ethos. A New Outlook in India argues its case by using mostly logos and a little pathos, throwing out enough facts, figures, and names to overwhelm the reader. It also tries to make the reader feel pity for the Indians under Britain's rule by talking about how hopeless it's gotten, and makes its point (that the Secretary of State is to blame) by directing the audience's frustration and anger at them. Race Nonsense Again uses mainly pathos and a little ethos. The author tries inciting the audience by talking about the slurs and insults used against the "negroid" black Portuguese. The author also uses ethos by discrediting and insulting their opponent, implying that the generalizations made in the article show that the author of the article they're talking about is incompetent.

Unlike women's issues, issues of race are avoided in most modernist magazines. However, in a letter to the editor of New Age, Vol. 8 No. 10, H. O. Newland appeals to the editor's pathos by affirming that the West African Natives deserve to be educated by the British Empire. Newland displays a colonizer mindset, which he also wants the editor to agree with. He begins his letter by stating that the British West African Association was formed to "further the interests- educational, political, and commerical- of the West African Colonies" (237). He believes that the West Africans need to be civilized and educated, in turn, claiming that they need pity from Britain. Further, Newland states that there is a British "ignorance" concerning the education of the Africans and that they all should be educated, not just the coastal natives. Newland resorts to making the editor question whether he was ignorant to the issue as well, further driving his emotional response to the issue. Newland wants the editor to inform other readers about the poor African natives, driving the effort to colonize them, as he claims the letter is an "invit[ation] to help" (237). By displaying the natives as helpless to educate themselves, Newland effectively displays the British empire as the "White Savior," as well as convinces the editor that the association needs help and support to educate them.

            Like feminism, the topic of race also had a large impact on modernism, and this is evident within both Coterie no. 4 published April 1^st, 1920, edited by Chaman Lall and in The Wide World Magazine vol. 25 no. 146 published June 1^st, 1910, edited by Andrew Pitt-Kethley. Through the entries “An African Love Song” by Charles Beadle and “Travel and Adventure on African Borderlands” by Lieut.-Colonel R. G. T. Bright, C. M. G., of the Rifle Brigade, it is evident that there was mixed reception to those with a darker skin tone or of different culture. By showing the culture of Africans, these articles embrace the different culture, but diction choices bring into question the sincerity of these praises.

            Charles Beadle describes infatuation using African related similes that can feel awkward and R. G. T. Bright describes his positive experience in Africa using degrading diction at times. As he describes a woman’s beauty, Beadle compares her body to “a young giraffe” or even “small ant-hills,” which are understandable, but makes the reader feel uneasy (Beadle 21). Comparing beauty to nature is not a new concept, but typically animals or anthills aren’t used in these similes. These objects of comparison are generally not though of as beautiful which makes the comparison awkward on top of the feeling of cultural appropriation. R. G. T. Bright, on the other hand, describes his experience in Fort Portal “memorable” and how he is thankful for the experience, but he also mentions how the ceremony was “semi-barbaric” and one fashion style as “grotesque” (Bright 169-172). While Bright does appreciate the culture and is thankful for the kindness he was offered, his more offensive word choices counteract his previous praise. The environment and culture of Africans was curiously shown and could have been sincere if some diction was chosen to be less offensive.

Works Cited

Bright, R. G. T. “Travel and Adventure on African Borderlands.” The Wide World Magazine, 1 June 1910, https://modjourn.org/issue/bdr472761/

Beadle, Charles. “An African Love Song.” Coterie, 1 April 1920, https://modjourn.org/issue/bdr456288/

                 Feminism had heavy influence on modernist works and this is evident even in magazines that are not specifically targeting this subject. While The Masses mainly tackled worker’s rights and socialist problems, it also has feminism in some of it works. Notably, The Masses vol. 1 no. 12 edited by Horatio Winslow published December 1^st, 1911, and The Masses vol. 4 no. 10 edited by Max Eastman published Augus 1^st, 1913. In vol. 1 no. 12 of The Masses, Winslow writes his own piece titled The Cheapest Commodity on the Market where he talks about how women are unfairly treated as exchangeable goods. After describing how jewels may be fine but serve no practical uses, Winslow claims how women are “the cheapest commodity on the market. You can buy ten women for the price of a good ruby” (Winslow 5). This argument is justified through logos for it is logical that rubies serve no practical purpose and that women can do more than rubies. Yet rubies are valued higher and held with more respect than women despite the differences. Even in vol. 4 no. 10 of The Masses, there is a poem title Any City written by Louis Untermeyer that similarly shows how women are objectified without trying. He describes a woman casually walking but she is “[l]uring, without a lure; She is man’s hunger and prey – His lust and its hideous cure” (Untermeyer 25). Though she is just walking, she cannot escape the judgements of a patriarchal society and how men see her as an object for desire. This compares similarly to the aforementioned ruby, but the tone here implies the immorality of this mindset. While both pieces of media explain it differently, both of them shun the idea of objectifying women into expendable scrap.