Vanessa Schulman presented her research on the American Civil War through visual and written culture. Her argument was that both of these types of media communication reflected the complex and disturbing viewpoint most Americans had about the war. She argued that both the novel and civil war battlefield photographs presented views of the war that were not always clear and redeeming narratives.
Vanessa Schulman presented her research on the American Civil War through visual and written culture. Her argument was that both of these types of media communication reflected the complex and disturbing viewpoint most Americans had about the war. She argued that both the novel and civil war battlefield photographs presented views of the war that were not always clear and redeeming narratives.
Vanessa Schulman presented her research on the American Civil War through visual and written culture. Her argument was that both of these types of media communication reflected the complex and disturbing viewpoint most Americans had about the war. She argued that both the novel and civil war battlefield photographs presented views of the war that were not always clear and redeeming narratives.
Vanessa Schulman: Research Colloquium- Through Dead Mens Eyes
10/21/14 At the University Galleries, Professor Schulman presented her research on the American Civil War, and how it was viewed at the time through visual and written culture. She explained how Steven Cranes novel The Red Badge of Courage related to various types of civil war photographs. Her argument was that both of these types of media communication reflected the complex and disturbing viewpoint most Americans had about the war. Schulman offered Crane as a literary realist, speaking through a naturalist voice about the cold and brutal war. She explained that as the main character of the story ran away from the frontline, and wanders through the battle lost, the novel offered small, roughly linked scenes that werent largely necessary to communicating the storyline. However, Schulman argued that the author presented a loose collection of tableaus that could be related to Americans disillusioned and confused view of the war. She then related these loose tableaus from The Red Badge of Courage to civil war battlefield photographs and stereographic slides, of the like taken by Alexander Gardner and Matthew Brady. Both the novel and these types of photographs presented views of the war that were not always clear and redeeming narratives. Schulmans argument presented information that made an effective use of transfer of information across themes used in elementary and secondary education such as history, literacy, and art education. I could use Schulmans colloquium as a model for future lessons. By linking up information my students are learning in another class (perhaps they are reading The Red Badge of Courage in their History class), I will find ways to make connections so that my students learn at a deeper level.