Coming of Age as a Writer

At the British Library we went through an exhibit about propaganda.  We looked at what the difference was between propaganda and works of art.  Propaganda only allows for one meaning or interpretation while art allows for multiple interpretations.  During wartime, propaganda is used to maintain morale at home.  Propaganda permeated the daily life of millions during the two world wars as governments recognized that civilian morale was vital for victory.  Propaganda like this picture shown above would have been used during the war when Robbie was fighting and Cecilia was a nurse.

The two picture shown above were taken aboard the HMS Belfast.  They show some of the many struggles that men in the navy deal with while aboard their ships.  The hardest struggle, according to a war veteran, was how to spend their leisure time.  ALong with the trouble of fighting boredom, sailers also had to fight off diseases.  Often, when one sailor got sick, many others soon fell ill as well.  This was because the tight living quarters and the lack of personal space they had while aboard.  The top picture shows a typical room that a sailor would sleep in.  The beds were three bunks high and there was minimal personal space.  The picture below shoes the sick room.  This is where the men would go if they were wounded or ill.  The sanitation was not good here because all sick and wounded men would be in the same room with minimal doctors available.  This is how Robbie would have lived during the war.

The picture above depicts the mail room where sailor's letters would be sorted and sent out.  One veteran aboard the HMS Belfast said that mail day was the best day of the week.  That was when the morale was the highest.  Hearing from loved ones made many homesick, but also brightened the day.  In the novel, writing is what kept Robbie from going insane.  Robbie was able to escape from the world he had learned to know, which was full of death and destruction, and travel to a better world using writing and his imagination.

At the Florence Nightingale museum, we learned that Florence was a lot like Briony.  They were both neat and tidy.  They were both writers and used their writing to clear their conscience.  Florence wrote to the families who lost loved ones in the war.  She wrote her apology for not being able to nurse them back to health and for the ones lost in battle.  Briony used her novel to tell the truth that she could not fully admit to herself.  Coming of age as a writer depends on the experiences you have as well as the travels you embark on.  It is hard to have your own voice in your writing when society is pressuring you to think otherwise.  Florence and Briony both experienced the struggles and challenges of coming of age as a writer when it was not what society wanted them to do.

Coming of Age as a Skeptic

The above pictures were taken at Christ Church at the University of Oxford.  This is where Sebastian went when he studied at Oxford.   Sebastian went to Christ Church because his father did.  His family thought it was important to carry on the family legacy and for Sebastian to follow in his father's footsteps.  Oxford is the second oldest university in the world.  It has gothic architecture on the majority of its buildings.  Christ Church has had 13 prime ministers pass through its halls.  Christ Church prides itself on highlighting power rather than beauty.  This is why living arrangements are not up to modern day standards.  Eduction and power is their main focus, not the luxuries of modern day.  Sebastian and Charles would have lived on campus and dealt with these living arrangements.  However, a perk of living at Oxford is shown when Sebastian got sick in Charles' room, the scout (maid) cleaned up after him. 

Christ Church highlights prestige, wealth, and influence on English culture and society.  The picture above shows the dining hall of Christ Church.  The portraits shown depict powerful individuals that went through the college.  This shows the power and wealth the Oxford students strive for.  Prestige was taught because students would have to be invited to sit up at the head of the room with the professors.  If invited, it was a big deal.  Christ Church teaches its students to fear God, love the brotherhood, and to honor the King.  This saying is engraved on the wall of the cathedral.  Sebastian was also raised to embody these statements.  He grew up with wealth, prestige, and an understanding about society during his time.

As you can see, Eltham Palace has many different architectural styles on its exterior.  It is a medieval palace that was restored and renewed in the 1930s.  The exterior doesn't match the interior in the way a typical palace would.  Inside, the palace looks more modern for its time.  The palace grows slightly with the ages because of the different architecture and styles.  Both modern and ancient artifacts and furnishings are inside.  Charles adored Brideshed because he "loved buildings that grew slightly with the centuries, capturing and keeping the best of each generation."  Like Brideshed, Eltham Palace is like a time machine.  By walking through the property, you are able to see different styles and artifacts from many generations all shown in glamourous ways.

Coming of Age as a Traveler

During our visit to the John Soane Museum we were able to observe his extravagant collection of artifacts from all over the world.  John Soane was inspired to collect artifacts after his Grand Tour.  It was not until after his Grand Tour where he became wealthy enough to purchase these items.  Instead, John drew pictures of his trip and visions.  Lucy had her own views of Italy.  Like John, Lucy Honeychurch was lucky enough to go on her own Grand Tour to Italy.  It was in Italy where she acquired a wealth of knowledge from her experiences.  Instead of artifacts, Lucy purchased postcards from her trip to remember the sights she saw.

At the National Gallery we critiqued different paintings and related these paintings back to Lucy's experiences in A Room With a View.  The painting above is titled Apollo and Daphne by Antonio del Pollaiuolo.  It shows Apollo pursuing Daphne.  When he touches her, she is forever changed into a tree.  With her being a tree, she is rooted in one place.  Lucy and Cecil's relationship can be represented by this painting.  Cecil does not want Lucy touched.  He wants her in one place, as if she were rooted to him and pure.  He can have experiences but does not see it acceptable for her to until he touches her. He believed she was innocent and pure until she states otherwise.

These two paintings are on display at the Tate Britain.  Both were done by the artist Turner and can relate to Lucy's travels and views throughout the novel.  The top painting is a more detailed scene of Venice.  This painting was done before the bottom one.  The top painting depicts Turner's first expectations of Italy.  This is what Lucy might have expected and viewed Italy to be like before her experience there.  As Turner's views changed, his artwork did as well.  The bottom painting is titled Venice With the Salute.  It remains unfinished, yet still on display to let its viewers use their imagination.  This painting represents how our visions of travel, our experiences as travelers, and our development as a person are never truly finished.  There is always more to explore.  We are continuously growing as a person.  As Lucy grew as a character, her views of the world changed.  Turner, like Lucy, found his own views of the places he traveled.  What most travelers expect to see and experience while abroad are the postcard visuals that are very picture-esc.  However; once we age and have our own experiences, we are not as narrow minded and create our own visions for our life.

Coming of Age As a Worker

At the Foundling Museum a charitable organization called "Exchange" challenges individuals to perform one simple act of kindness during their day.  It encourages people in our working society to get involved with charity and the community around them.

The Foundling Museum showed how poor orphan children lived.  The children were forced to join the workforce at young ages.  They learned what it meant to "come of age" as a worker in their society by wearing clothes representing military and domestic roles that they would soon fill in society.

The Geffrye Museum was dedicated to show the history of the typical home throughout different centuries.  We were able to see how the working class lived and the roles that women were expected to fill.  

The job of a governess was very poorly paid, and often very lonely.  Governesses were expected to teach the children of the house.  They became dependent on their masters and had little to no hope of becoming independent later in life.  This picture shows a typical kitchen and wash room that a governess would have in her master's house.

This painting shows a working woman from the 19th century.  By looking at her facial expressions, we are able to see that she is unhappy, exhausted, and feels a sense of despair.  She is unhappy about her position as a lower class worker and probably knows what it means to have to work for a living just to get by.  No matter how much she tries, she cannot overcome her position in the lower class and will forever live a life of work to make ends meet.