Annapurni Sriram

WEEK 1

Tour of the Globe Theater – 08.24.2017

Our tour guide painted a detailed picture of what the Globe Theater was like back in Shakespeare's time -

and it wasn't what I had expected. He described the standing area as a cesspool where working men

stood crammed together to watch the show. It was a stark contrast with my expectation that the theater

would be a place of pomp and circumstance.

I associate the works of Shakespeare with a high level of cultural literacy, but I learned that in their time,

they were regarded as cheap entertainment. This shifting of perspectives through the ages highlights a

human tendency to romanticize the past. We owe much of Western culture to the 1600-1800s and

thereby only focus on the literary and artistic growth in that time. This isn't necessarily harmful, but it is

important to note that we are only viewing a part of history, taken out of context. During the tour, I found

myself wondering what it was like to live in Shakespeare's time. My imagination ran wild with visions of

masterful storytellers and elaborate costumes. They didn't necessarily include the stench of the city, the

threat of fire and disease, and the cruel class system. I was fascinated that I automatically excluded the

'bad' from my rendering of history. It's not such a big deal in this instance, but I think that it touches on a

larger idea that we, as humans, selectively remember the past.

In America currently, we have a president who ran on a campaign centered on America's past: 'Make

America Great Again'. By romanticizing only a portion of America's history, we forget the misogyny and

racism that accompanied it: an equally valid part of the narrative. I appreciated that the tour of

Shakespeare's Globe Theater not only gave me a look into how a Shakespeare production would be put

on, but also contextualized the experience with both the 'good' and the 'bad'.

Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe Theater:

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The performance itself was awesome. Benedick and Beatrice were absolutely magical on stage. The

Mexican theme and lively colors turned me into someone who may actually return to the theater some

day. Armed with my knowledge from the tour in the morning, I had a better understanding of who would

come to the theater, why, and (hilariously) how the place would smell!

Tour of Southwark Cathedral – 08.25.2017

The architecture of Southwark Cathedral was a testament to crisis and change in itself. The Ancient

Roman ruins demonstrate the change in power and religion through the ages. The stained glass windows,

and elaborate altar which was covered for many years show a religious crisis which spanned generations,

moving from Protestant to Catholic, then back again. The rebuilt wall was evidence of physical crisis in the

form of WW2 bombs dropping on Borough Market. The location of the cathedral in what was formerly

known as Southwark captured the rapidly expanding city of London as urban sprawl engulfed the

surrounding towns. I thought it was fitting that the church, which is, in many cases, the center of the

community, reflected the chaos and change its congregation experienced.

WEEK 2

Hampton Court – 08.28.2017

The class trip to Hampton Court helped me contextualize the political and religious turmoil of the 16th

century in London. The Tudor/Italian architecture of Woolsey’s original 999 room palace was a reminder

of the power and status the church held in 16th century society. I found myself in awe that Woolsey had

enough clout and financial power to execute his vision of such a gigantic palace. When we went inside, I

found the wood paneling to be extravagant and intricate in a way that modern interior design is not. I

absolutely loved the design and detail involved in the architecture of the palace. The giant clock above

the clock court was by my favorite artistic aspect of the entire palace.

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Much like Southwark Cathedral, the hodge-podge of architectural elements in the palace mirrored the

tumultuous history of London. I found some of the elements from William and Mary’s occupation

hilariously out of place and it was sometimes hard to find continuity from one portion of the palace to

another. I thought Hampton Court was beautiful and showcased a literal representation of London’s

history: the transfers of power, disagreements between church and state, and the personalities of various

leaders.

Great Fire of London Walk – 08.29.2017

Taking a walk through the areas destroyed and affected by the Great Fire was a unique experience which

allowed me to follow the path of destruction, and simultaneously visualize the rebuilding of London. As

we were walking, I was first struck with how narrowly the fire missed Samuel Pepys’ house. He was one

lucky guy! I was not exactly sure how he was able to take walks through a city that was on fire but I’m

thankful that he did so I am able to trace his walks and imagine what it must have been like.

As we were walking, we peeked into a few churches along the way – all of them designed by Christopher

Wren. Firstly, I was shocked at how many churches we walked past on our relatively short walk. When I’m

not looking for them outright, it’s easy to walk right past a church and not realize it is there. On the Great

Fire walk, however, I really felt the presence of the Anglican church. I can’t really imagine being a religious

minority in London in the 16th or 17th century. The pressure to conform must have been immense. I also

found myself comparing the interior design of the Protestant-built churches to Catholic-built Southwark

Cathedral. The familiar cross shape was gone, the fabulous alter was replaced with a relatively austere

cross and a panel with the Lord’s prayer, and stained glass with the Virgin Mary was replaced by plain,

clear glass windows. After the walk, I realized that the Great Fire was not only a tragedy, but a way for

London to cleanse itself from the religious turmoil of the preceding century and emerge from the ashes

as an Anglican city.

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Museum of London- 09.01.2017

The Museum of London was a cool way for me to contextualize the Great Fire. I the chronological layout

fo the museum: it allowed me to organize my thoughts and order all of the events that are swimming

around in my head. I particularly enjoyed the exhibits on the Suffrage movement and the Plague of 1665.

I did not realize how closely the Great Fire followed the Plague. Though it was an awful tragedy, it did an

efficient job of killing off the city’s rodent’s and curbing the plague epidemic. It is interesting to think what

would have happened if a fire didn’t break out in Pudding Lane in September 1666. Would the plague

have continued to decimate London’s population? Surely London’s skyline be deprived of St. Paul’s iconic

dome, and its streets would be void of Wren’s austere masterpieces. I decided that it was a necessary

tragedy, as many often are. The Great Fire paved the way for the city I have been enjoying for the past

few weeks. However, based on the diaries of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, the damage was great and

reconstruction was a huge undertaking. The Museum of London, along with the class discussion, and the

readings allowed me to put together the pieces of the puzzle to really understand the Great Fire. I think

context is really important for any historical event, and with it, I enjoyed playing a game of “What if this

didn’t happen…?” in the museum.

WEEK 3

St. Paul’s Cathedral – 09.01.2017

I loved St. Paul’s Cathedral. L-O-V-E-D I-T! I appreciated that the tour guide tailored the tour to the

group’s expertise and focus. The knave was austere in the loosest definition of the word ‘austere’. Of

course, I was able to see that the barren stone walls were in sharp contrast to classic cathedral design but

in my opinion, I still thought it was grand. The tour guide told us that Wren had originally envisioned the

church to be in the style of a Greek cross, but the clergy protested because that would mean that their

portion of the church would be the same length as everyone else’s. I thought this was hilarious! Wren

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changed his original design to a traditional Latin Cross to accommodate the request from the clergy. I

thought back to ostentatious Woolsey and concluded once again that most “godly” men in history were

obsessed with power.

From the standpoint of an engineer, I found the design of the dome to be clever. I rarely get exposure to

civil and mechanical engineering so I would never guess that there was a conical support structure

sandwiched between two inner and outer domes. Once we got to the dome, I found myself looking at my

absolute favorite part of the church. The gold mosaics above the altar sparkled as if illuminated by

candlelight and the imposing figure of Jesus stared back at me from the far end of the church. The

differences between the knave and altar were stark. The people of Wren’s time didn’t care too much

about aesthetics, but the Victorians loved sparkle and glam. I could have lived in the choir of St. Paul’s so I

think it is safe to say I have more Victorian tendencies than Stuart.

Tate Britain, Mrs. Dalloway Walk, & Victorian Tea – 09.07.2017

Our trip to Tate Britain was one of my favorite parts of this class. Though I find it hard to appreciate art, I

was enraptured by the fine detail and vivid colors of pre-Raphaelite art. Every detail of Ophelia was

perfect, even her thick blonde eyelashes stood out against the dark water. Peter noted that you couldn’t

quite tell whether she was alive or dead. I think she might have been right on the brink. Her dress was

clearly submerged, pulling her deeper into the water. Ophelia had deep mental instabilities in Hamlet

which eventually led to her suicide but in the painting, her eyes were closed just enough to give her the

appearance of innocence. Without context, the painting doesn’t reveal its dark underpinnings, but with

context, the complexity emerges and the shadows begin to darken. I loved analyzing the art from a

literary viewpoint. I didn’t quite enjoy the contemporary art produced at the end of the 19th century and

beginning of the 20th century, though I was able to appreciate them and their meanings.

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The Mrs. Dalloway walk colored my perception of the book. We wandered the streets of London much

like Woolf’s writing meanders in the book. Many of the books I read are fantasy fiction novels which

means I must create the setting of the book entirely in my mind based on the author’s description. With

Mrs. Dalloway, most Londoners would have context for the setting of the book and can conjure an image

closer to that of Virginia Woolf’s. I appreciated the walk because it allowed me to envision the characters

of the book walking through the actual streets of London rather than in random streets that are products

of my imagination.

In the evening, the Victorian tea allowed me to pretend I was Lady Caroline from Wilde’s A Woman of No

Importance. I was a fan of all of the mini-sandwiches and cakes, and I thought the conversation was

wonderful. Again, this enhanced my understanding of the setting of both Mrs. Dalloway and A Woman of

No Importance.

18 Stafford Terrace – 09.08.2017

The tour of Linley Sambourne’s home in 18 Stafford Terrace was a unique experience which allowed me

to put myself in Mrs. Dalloway and A Woman of No Importance, much like the Mrs. Dalloway walk and

the Victorian tea. Mr. Sambourne just wanted wealth and respect and modelled his house after that –

much like Chanu from Brick Lane. It was interesting, and slightly disheartening to see how differently the

servants and family lived. The tour guide mentioned that if the servants and family met on the staircase,

the servants would have to face the wall and allow the family to pass. This seemed degrading and not

something I would personally do if I was the head of the household but it served as another example of

class diversity in the Victorian era. Additionally, I found it interesting how miserly Mr. Sambourne was. In

the upstairs parlor, it was hilarious to see that only the visible parts of the wall were covered with the

expensive, Spanish wallpaper, but the older wall paper was plastered behind every hanging on the wall.

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18 Stafford Terrace told a story about class and wealth and this helped me visualize both A Woman of No

Importance and Mrs. Dalloway.

WEEK 4

Imperial War Museum – 09.11.2017

The Imperial War Museum was another one of my favorite class trips. I spent the day looking at the WW1

and Holocaust exhibits. I thought they were both laid out beautifully. The text was not overwhelming, the

history was broken up into chronological, palatable chunks, the items on display were fascinating, and the

sounds and screens made it a truly immersive experience. When going through the WW1 exhibit, I was

looking for disintegration which mirrors that found in Mrs. Dalloway – and it was everywhere! There was

disintegration of the peace in Europe with most countries being involved in the war. There was a

disintegration of the household dynamic: husbands and fathers were now away at war and women were

working to support the war effort from home, and there was geopolitical disintegration as maps were

redrawn and the boundary lines for some countries were re-charted as the war raged on. The first World

War must have been an incredibly significant time of physical and emotional crisis for the city of London.

Brick Lane Walk – 09.14.2017

The class walk down Brick Lane put us right in Ali’s novel. Though Nazneen was not restricted, she stayed

within the confines of Brick Lane for years. In a way, she was able to recreate the small geography of her

village within London and this prevented her from assimilating. We walked down Brick Lane and I noticed

the colorful graffiti and multicultural population. As we walked by an apartment building which could

have been Nazneen’s, I found that I could see the book play out before my eyes. I really enjoyed reading

Brick Lane. I thought it was a genius way of telling a coming-of-age and immigrant story without following

any sort of archetype. I found the crisis of assimilation quite literal as I saw Bangladeshi women in

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traditional dress walking by modern buildings covered with graffiti. Moving to London from a country so

far away must have been an unfathomable amount of change, however, it looks

Final Reflection

I have had a blast in this course! I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of history and literature that we covered. I

learnt so much about politics, art, and culture in London during the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

After taking this class, I feel that I can speak to the major times of crisis and change that London has

experienced over the years. I thoroughly enjoyed all the classroom sessions, especially when the lectures

were punctuated with interactive discussion. I found that talking to my peers, especially because all fo

them have such varied academic backgrounds, helped me see diverse ways to analyze the course

material. I thought our site visits were extremely helpful and I was excited that each day held something

new. I appreciated that students were able to independently wander through the Museum of London and

the Imperial War Museum. This allowed me to learn the most about what I was interested in but also gain

all the necessary knowledge for the course. In the same vein, I really appreciated that we were not left

alone in the Tate Britain. Art museums don’t have enough text for me to appreciate the pieces in the way

that they should be, so Peter’s context and analysis of each piece was incredibly helpful and made the

Tate Britain one of my favorite museums in London.

In addition to knowledge about crises and change, I learned a lot about diversity. I appreciated the class

discussions about diversity and enjoyed reading Brick Lane. I particularly liked how the diversity we

covered in this class was not just racial diversity but also sexual, socioeconomic, and religious diversity. I

thought that our conversations and assignments about diversity were beneficial academic and personal

pursuits.

In general, I found that this class struck the perfect balance between independent and guided learning. I

loved that we weren’t dragooned in a classroom all day. I am someone who learns better in interactive

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activities as opposed to the passive action of listening and taking notes. America is such a young country,

so I found it absolutely exciting to learn about history that took place before 1776! From King Henry VIII

all the way up to World War 1, I found the history enthralling, the literature engaging and relevant, ND

the accompanied assignments added to my learning. I am very happy that I enrolled in this course and am

excited to find ways to apply my new knowledge when I get back to the University of Washington.

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Life as a Woman in the Victorian Era

A class trip to the Tate Britain museum in addition to a group discussion about Oscar Wilde’s “A

Woman of No Importance” touched on gender and class issues in the 19th century. It must have been

tough to be an upper middle class woman in the Victorian era because women and men were not viewed

as intellectual equals, women were often sexualized and viewed as fragile, and double standards for men

and women pervaded high society.

Wilde’s “A Woman of No Importance” highlights the complexity of gender issues in Victorian

society. One of the most interesting parts of this play is the differing opinions on the capability of a

woman. Many characters make bold, feminist statements, only to be contradicted by another character

or themselves a few pages later. In Act 2, Mrs. Allonby is adding to a discussion about marriage when she

asserts that a married woman is not her husband’s property (II. 39-42). This feminist statement is met

with agreement by the ladies who are participating in the conversation. But just a few pages later, Mrs.

Allonby declares that women should not be treated as rational beings in marriage (II. 154-56; 161-63).

This comment is dangerous and discounts the ability of a women to be an intellectual or to be seen as an

equal to a man. Even Mrs. Allonby, one of the more progressive thinkers of the group, expresses

conflicting thoughts about a woman’s place in society, both in jest and in earnest. This highlights the

Victorian period as a time when society was still male-dominated but showing the signs of egalitarian and

feminist thought. As a woman in upper middle class Victorian society, it must have been hard to be

caught in the middle of conservative and liberal thought. When female characters discussed a woman’s

contribution to society, they received a mixed response from their male counterparts. Mr. Kelvil

progressively believes that women should take part in politics (I. 204-206) while Lord Illingworth spends

most of his time in the play talking about women as if they are intellectual inferiors, at one point saying

that women represent the win of matter over mind, again insinuating the irrationality of a woman (II.

100-101). We saw this again at 18 Stafford Terrace where Mrs. Sambourne was relegated to a small room

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while her husband was able to decorate the whole house. She had to play the part of a doting housewife

whose duties consisted of talking to the cook about the next meal, but nothing more substantive. I think it

would be very hard for a wealthy Victorian woman to have a strong sense of self-value, especially if they

are hearing from other women and men that women aren’t intellectually equal to men or don’t have the

mental capability of being rational.

Through our class explorations, it seems as though Victorian women would have been sexualized

in a way that put their honor and purity first and cast them as fragile. Wilde shows this through Hester’s

Puritanism and thus her complete reluctance to be kissed by Lord Illingworth. Gerald’s overzealous

reaction to defend Hester’s honor demonstrates the importance of a woman’s purity in Victorian society.

This is further underscored by Mrs. Arbuthnot’s social unimportance after her deviant relationship with

Lord Illingworth. In Tate Britain, the class examined Ophelia and King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid as

examples of Victorian art, and in both cases, women are portrayed in a way that highlights their delicate

disposition. In Ophelia, the main character looks beautiful and is surrounded by flowers, and even though

she has just committed suicide, her fragility is on display. The artist specifically chose Gertrude’s depiction

of Ophelia’s death where her suicide is sensationalized. In the painting she doesn’t seem hurt at all or

mentally conflicted. I think the artist adopted this point of view because it is in line with the Victorian view

of women. In King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid, flowers litter the steps of the beggar maid’s prison

which may signify the loss of her virginity. She is obviously being sexualized by the king who stands with a

huge lance between his legs and views her in such a way that her dress appears see through. In both

cases, the women who are in rather touch situations are portrayed in a way which makes them seem

victims to their fragility, rather than capable of taking control of the situation.

The treatment of Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Arbuthnot in “A Woman of No Importance” highlights

the double standards which were present in Victorian society. Mrs. Arbuthnot and Lord Illingworth were

complicit in the same deed, however, Mrs. Arbuthnot was punished harshly by society while Lord

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Illingworth was able to travel around, raise his social status, and make money. Double standards like this

one color our society today, so it doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to understand what it must

have been like to be a Victorian woman in the upper middle class. While some of the class issues that

Victorians dealt with are not ones I particularly encounter, I feel as if I can relate to Victorian women.

Times have changed, but women are going through some of the same issues as before. Today, we are

fighting for reproductive rights and equal pay, fighting against rape culture and double standards, and

fighting for girls around the world to get an education. I found that in a few regards, “A Woman of No

Importance” and our class visit to the Tate Modern showed me that the past is just as accessible as the

present because we are encountering similar issues and learning how to deal with them.

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