Emerson+and+Susan+Glaspell

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Susan Glaspell Original author: Colleen McLaughlin, ENG340 & 400, FL10 Revision author:

Many books have been written on the similarity of spirit between Susan Keating Glaspell and other transcendentalist writers. However, some of the most common parallels are those drawn between Glaspell and Ralph Waldo Emerson. This is partially due to the fact that she has quoted him in several of her own plays. Biographers have also commented on a seemingly shared understanding of life, society, and nature between the two writers. This shared understanding can be seen in both Glaspell’s model of the self-reliant woman in her writings, as well the actions she took in her own life’s course.

Though Emerson tended to write more specifically to men, as there were not as many higher-educated women, Glaspell saw the concept of self-reliance as more of a general rule for all than a sex-specific edict: “And truly it demands something godlike in him who has cast off the common motives of humanity, and has ventured to trust himself for a taskmaster. High be his heart, faithful his will, clear his sight, that he may in good earnest be doctrine, society, law, to himself, that a simple purpose may be to him as strong as iron necessity is to others! If any man consider the present aspects of what is called by distinction //society//, he will see the need of these ethics.” -//Self Reliance// from [|Essays: First Series] (1841), Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson’s call to throw off the shackles of societal conventions and assumed roles is something that Glaspell appears to have modeled her life after. She did not take the path of most women of her time, but instead that of the male scholar. A love for the arts and a refusal to accept her assigned station of the lower middle-class woman pushed her on to Drake University and then eventually on to a place in the art community she had so long yearned to be a part of. In these, and many more, ways Glaspell’s path mirrors the ideals preached in the previous passage. In the ways that she referred to Emerson in her own plays it is obvious that she had a great deal of admiration for the man. It is possible that the stories of Emerson’s lecture circuit (that passed through her hometown of Davenport) had something to do with her rather specific focus on him as a sort of role model.

Twenty years before Glaspell was born, Emerson delivered a series of lectures across Iowa and Illinois. In 1855, Ralph Waldo Emerson was continuing on his cross-country lecture circuit. On December 31 of that year he delivered a lecture in Davenport, Iowa before the Young Men’s Literary Association at the Congregational Church. Shortly thereafter he crossed the Mississippi River to deliver another lecture to the Young Men’s Library Association at the Baptist Church in Rock Island, Illinois. Many of the lectures he delivered were to the audiences of young men’s associations. These associations were created for, and by, young men who wanted to further their education. There were not many, if any, organizations for young women who wished to the same, as it was not considered appropriate for young women.

Perhaps Emerson’s brief 1855 appearance in her home town of Davenport had some influence on her taste for literature. While Glaspell would not be born for another twenty years, she did, even from an early age, desperately yearn to be a part of the literary, musical, and elite social community of Davenport. Her family had settled in Davenport in 1839, a mere four years after the city’s founding and were reportedly very active members of the community. It is possible that both Glaspell’s interest in Emerson and eagerness to be part of Davenport’s literary scene were sparked by tales of his visit to her humble hometown. One challenge did stop her from gaining access to this exclusive literary scene: though her family had deep roots in Davenport’s community, her family was middle class and she was, by extension, not affluent enough to gain membership. Undeterred, she took the position of social editor to Davenport’s //Weekly Outlook// in 1896, shortly after graduating high school. She wrote numerous commentaries on the activities of the social elite in Davenport while still being considered an outsider to the group itself.

In 1897, she went on to attend Drake University in spite of the scandalous nature of her enrollment. Noe states that “By Iowa standards Susan's college enrollment was an audacious act for a young woman of the 1890s,” (Susan Glaspell 15). By doing this, Glaspell followed that which Emerson’s //Self-Reliance// dictated. Emerson described society as “a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-Reliance is its aversion,” (Self-Reliance, 1841). Glaspell refused to give up liberty and culture simply to conform to society’s expectations of a young lady. Having been shunned by Davenport’s “cultured sect”, she could not pass on the opportunity to gain access to the larger literary community. She soon began publishing her own short stories in popular magazines of the time and found that she could easily sustain herself on the proceeds. She had finally broken through and was now on the path to becoming a professional writer.

However, it was not until 1902, when she returned to Davenport after completing her post-graduate work in literature, that she found herself to have “become somewhat of a local celebrity,” (Noe, Susan Glaspell 23).

In a book dedicated solely to the exploration of the influences in Glaspell’s life that helped to shape her writings, further mention of Emerson’s writings can be found. In //Disclosing Intertextualities: The Stories, Plays, and Novels of Susan Glaspell//, Ozieblo and Carpentier show how a close attention to the books an author stocks her character’s library with reveals the influences of the author herself. They state that “such a library exists in Glaspell’s first novel, //The Glory of the Conquered//, and with the addition of relatively few works, can stand as a touchstone for Glaspell’s opus,” (Disclosing Intertextualities, 25). In the book, //The Glory of the Conquered//, while several characters organize the books of this library, passing mentions are made of books by Goethe, Keats, Browning, and even a copy of Shakespeare’s works that was left on the floor. A copy of Walden is used by one of the characters to serve as an imaginary typewriter while pretending to write an article for a social column recounting the evening’s proceedings. It is most interesting to note that while many of the other authors are mentioned in passing, and even used as props, one character takes the time to put Emerson on the top of a pile of books so that “he might not be walked upon,” (//The Glory of the Conquered//, 41). This small excerpt from the book is interesting because it touches on several things previously discussed. The character of Ernestine picks Emerson up off of the floor, while admonishing the other character for the questionable honesty of the paper Georgia writes for, asking, “Is that as close as your paper comes to telling the truth?” (//The Glory of the Conquered//, 41).

”When art weds science,” observed Georgia, ”the resulting library is difficult to manage. Mr. Haeckel and Mr. Maeterlinck may not like being bumped up here together.” ”Then put Haeckel somewhere else,” said Ernestine, looking up from her book. ”No, fire Maeterlinck,” commanded Karl. ”See,” said Georgia–”it’s begun. Strife and dissension have set in.” ”I’m neither a literary man nor a librarian,” ventured Dr. Parkman, ”but it seems a slight oversight to complete the list of poets and leave Shakespeare lying out there on the floor.” ”Got my Goethe in?” asked Karl, after Shakespeare had been left immerse in Georgia’s vituperations. ”I think Browning and Keats are over there under the Encyclopedia Britannica,” said Ernestine, roused to the necessity of securing a favourable position for her friends. ”Observe,” said Georgia, ”how they have begun insisting on their favourite authors. This is one of the early stages.” Ernestine, looking over their shoulders, made some critical remark about the place accorded Balzac’s letters to Madam Hanska, which caused Georgia to retort that perhaps it would be better if people arranged their own libraries, and then they could put things where they wanted them. Then after she had given a resting place to what she denounced as some very disreputable French novels, she leaned against the shelves and declared it was time to rest. ”This function,” she began, ”will make a nice little item for our society girl. Usually she disdains people who do not live on the Lake Shore Drive, but she will have to admit there is snap in this ’Dr. and Mrs. Karl Ludwig Hubers,’”–pounding it out on a copy of Walden as typewriter–”’ but newly returned from foreign shores, entertained last night at a book dusting party. Those present were Dr. Murray Parkman, eminent surgeon, and Miss Georgia McCormick, well and unfavourably known in some parts of the city. Rug beating and other athletic games were indulged in. The hostess wore a beautifully ruffled apron of white and kindly presented her guest with a kitchen apron of blue. Beer was served freely during the evening.’” ”Is that last as close as your paper comes to the truth?” asked Ernestine, piling up Emerson that he might not be walked upon. -//The Glory of the Conquered//, Susan Glaspell

It is said that many stories often arise from the authors own experiences. Also that many characters are often reproductions of people the author has known. While, in this scene, Ernestine’s regard for Emerson’s works very closely mirror that of Glaspell’s, the character Georgia also serves as a source of self reflection for Glaspell. In light of the fact that Glaspell, in her younger days and before seeking higher education, wrote a society column of her own. The time she spent as the social editor for Davenport’s //Weekly Outlook// appears to have required Glaspell’s commentary in the form of the discussion between Ernestine and Georgia. Perhaps this was to highlight the change in perspective she had acquired after her years at Drake University. If one examines the series of events in this scene, the will notice several symbolic moments: the society editor chooses a book at random from the floor and starts pounding out an imaginary letter. In a sense, Georgia is only playing at being a real writer. The book chosen to show this moment of playful self indulgence is Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Whether the use of Thoreau for this playful exercise was intended to demonstrate the lack of respect she once had for important transcendentalist works, or simply to highlight the inanity of her former position as social editor is unclear. It could be said that Glaspell is criticizing her younger self for having been too focused on the inconsequential happenings of Davenport’s “social scene”, when true social commentary was right at her fingertips. She also criticizes the work of a social editor. The instant that Ernestine picks Emerson’s book up from the floor, she asks, “Is that last as close as your paper comes to the truth,” (//The// //Glory of the Conquered//, 41). This shows the contempt Glaspell now has for social columns. The fact that she is also holding Emerson, one who often spoke a great deal on the subject of truth, while questioning the validity of anything reported in Georgia’s newspaper shows the shift in Glaspell’s priorities.

The spirit evident of much of Glaspell’s work has been compared to that of the transcendentalists. Perhaps this is why she so often mentions the works of noted transcendentalist writers in her own works. However, while Glaspell’s influences have been traced to many of the transcendentalist writers, the one she is most often compared to is Emerson. Glaspell showed a real respect for the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson often choosing to include his when a character speaks fondly of literature. However, it has also been postulated that her love for his works actually had a hand in inspiring her to write a play based on the life and works of Emily Dickinson. The common thread between the two women is that both were avid fans of Emerson’s work. Some have theorized that this common interest is what caused Glaspell to feel a connection between the life of Dickinson and her own.

Glaspell wrote a semi-biographical play called, //Alison’s House//, based on the life of Emily Dickinson. It has often been said that there is a similarity in spirit between the Glaspell and Dickinson, and perhaps the reason for this similarity can be traced back to the two women’s “notated…much loved editions of Emerson” (Her Life and Times, p. 333). Unfortunately for Glaspell, the Dickinson estate would not permit her to use any of Dickinson’s poetry. So Glaspell instead deferred to the poetry of the writer both she and Dickinson dearly loved. Emerson’s poem “The House” is quoted in the play //Alison’s House,// and also served as the source of the play’s title. “The House” There is no architect

Can build as the Muse can;

She is skilful to select

Materials for her plan; Slow and warily to choose

Rafters of immortal pine,

Or cedar incorruptible,

Worthy her design, She threads dark Alpine forests

Or valleys by the sea,

In many lands, with painful steps,

Ere she can find a tree. She ransacks mines and ledges

And quarries every rock,

To hew the famous adamant

For each eternal block-- She lays her beams in music,

In music every one,

To the cadence of the whirling world

Which dances round the sun-- That so they shall not be displaced

By lapses or by wars,

But for the love of happy souls

Outlive the newest stars. (-Ralph Waldo Emerson) In //Susan Glaspell: her life and times//, Ben-Zvi notes that, “It is significant that a poem quoted in the play from Emerson is entitled ‘The House.’ A central questions embedded in the work is: ‘What happens to the memories of lives lived and loves felt, once others occupy that same place?’… ” (334).

It can now be seen that though many writers have influenced the writings of Susan Glaspell, no other author was quite as influential, in the life and writings of Glaspell, as Ralph Waldo Emerson. Though there are sure to be other examples of Glaspell’s use of Emerson in her works, one final example of his influence on her writings will be shown in her reference to him, by name, in the play //Inheritors: A Play in Three Parts://

Scene II

Scene: The same as Scene I, three hours later. Professor Holden is seated at the table, books before him. He is a man in the fifties. At the moment his care-worn face is lighted by that lift of the spirit which sometimes rewards the scholar who has imaginative feeling, Harry, a student clerk, comes hurrying in. Looks back,

Harry

Here's Professor Holden, Mr. Fejevary.

Holden Mr. Fejevary is looking for me?

Harry Yes.

[He goes back, a moment later Mr. Fejevary enters. He has his hat, gloves, stick; seems tired and dis- turbed.

Holden Was I mistaken? I thought our appointment was for five.

Fejevary Quite right. But things have changed, so I won- dered if I might have a little talk with you now.

HOLDEN

To be sure. [Rising.] Shall we go downstairs? Fejevary

I don't know. Nice and quiet up here. [ To Harry, who is now passing through.] Harry, the library is closed now, is it?

Harry

Yes, it's locked.

Fejevary And there's no one in here? Harry No, I've been all through.

Fejevary

There's a committee downstairs. Oh, this is a terrible day. [Putting his things on the table.] We'd better stay up here. Harry, when my niece — when Miss Morton arrives — I want you to come and let me know. Ask her not to leave the building without seeing me.

Harry

Yes, sin

[He goes out.

Fejevary

Well, [wearily] it's been a day. Not the day I was looking for.

Holden No.

Fejevary You're very serene up here.

HOLDEN

Yes; I wanted to be — serene for a little while.

Fejevary

[Looking at the books.] Emerson. Whitman. [With a smile.] Have they anything new to say on economics?

HOLDEN

Perhaps not ; but I wanted to forget economics for a time. I came up here by myself to try and celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of Morton Col- lege. [Answering the other man's look.] Yes, I con- fess I’ve been disappointed in the anniversary. As I left Memorial Hall after the exercises this morning, Emerson's words came into my mind — "Give me truth, For I am tired of surfaces And die of inanition." Well, then I went home —

[Stops, troubled.

Fejevary How is Mrs. Holden?

Holden Better, thank you, but — not strong.

Fejevary

She needs the very best of care for a time, doesn't she?

HOLDEN

Yes. [Silent a moment.] Then, this is something more than the fortieth anniversary, you know. It's the first of the month.

Fejevary And illness hasn't reduced the bills?

“[Society] loves not realities and creators, but names and customs,”


 * Works Cited**

Ben-Zvi, Linda. //Susan Glaspell, Her Life and Times.// Oxford University Press, 2005.

Carpentier, Martha C.; Ozieblo, Bárbara. //Disclosing Intertextualities: The Stories, Plays, and Novels of Susan Glaspell//. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2006.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “The House”. http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/7444/.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. //Self-Reliance//. 1841. [].

Glaspell, Susan. The Glory of the Conquered. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1909.

Glaspell, Susan. Inheritors: A Play in Three Acts. Boston: Small, Maynard, 1921.

Makowsky, Veronica//. Susan Glaspell’s Century of American Women//

//A Critical Interpretation of Her Work//. New York, NY: Oxford University Press 1993.

Noe, Marcia. //Susan Glaspell – Voice from the Heartland.// Western Illinois Monograph Series, Number 1, Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, 1983.

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