Sandow's Nude Body example essay topic

American History II Lynne Spence Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man Introduction: John F. Kasson became interested in writing this book once he researched his great-grandfather Albert G. Matthews past. His knowledge of President Roosevelt also assisted in his interest to explore manliness in the past. He was interested in Houdini, Burrough, and Sandow's representations of popular a sthetics and cultural patterns of the male body and physical beauty. Neurasthenia, an American disease of nervous weakness and fatigue threatened men in the late 19th-20th century. Excessive brainwork, intense competition, rapid communication, hurrying, and the ubiquitous rhythm and din of technology were all medical problems that arose. Kasson focuses on the development of newspapers, magazines, and photography because they were all crucial in maintaining and subverting gender categories.

They introduced people to advertising, transformed popular theater and sport and changed individuals apprehension of the world and themselves. Chapter 1 1. Dixie who was normally seen as a well built young gentleman was compared to the perfect man. Dixie was a beautiful classical statue that came to life and Sandow was the sculptor and masterpiece, the two played dual roles.

2. Sandow's body symbolized attraction and a challenge, a model of strength, and object of desire, inspiration, and a rebuke of seduction. Sandow's nude body was of high interest to both men and women. During that time period heterosexuality and homosexuality were not focused on as much as today. At the time men could look at other men nude with no hesitation. Sandow was a performer by developing his physique with professional weight training.

He honed his abilities as a showman and known as the "strongest man on earth". Sandow and Sullivan were both very strong and fit men, however, Sandow defeated Sullivan with better arm strength, a bigger neck, chest, and thighs, yet a smaller waist. Sandow's body was a sign of racial purity, he represented a male physical idea and a white European male ideal. His color became a racial heir archy when he traveled to perform, especially to India. Sandow asked and allowed his female admirers to touch and feel his body, he wanted them to see his muscles for themselves and convinced them it was "ok". He knew his power of his body was intimidating and was a sexual gesture.

Tuner and Sandow were both well known and respected in their line of work, Sandow in body building and Turner was a historian. Turner compared Sandow's American manhood to his idea of frontier of American History, which was the "meeting point between saver gy and civilization. Chapter 2 Houdini was born as Enrich Weiss, he became a magician as a result of his family Background. His desire for success came from his fathers failure in his eyes and his ambitions were kindled by his mothers support and embrace. Houdini and Eltinge were parallel in their characteristics as far as doing their speciality was concerned. Both performed a magical "metamorphosis" while working.

Houdini's trait was speed emphasis and Eltinge's was effort and the amount of time it took to change from a robust he-man to a feminine beauty. I like the Prison Defier trick best. It impressed me because he out smarted both the Washington D.C. and Boston police officers, prison superintendents, reporters, etc. I also liked it because he performed these tricks naked within in a matter of minutes, and he switched and scrambled prisoners in different cells. His naked body became a spectacular dramatic effect, he made it important and crucial to his success and the soul of his challenge. He let it become part of his act for his admirers to study, a symbol, a source of meaning, and mystery.

He left his audience wondering what was next. Kasson said these magic acts were culturally important because of the fact he was naked he stirred up questions and curiosity concerning the human (especially male) body, also he defined gender roles and alleviated anxiety over masculinity threats. They matter to people because he gave them the confidence to believe in themselves and to challenge themselves as he did. These acts also allowed Houdini to be himself and to allow his body to become an object to be searched and were a gesture of disclosure.

The spectators were very interested and impressed with these acts and they kept them wanting to come back to see more. Houdini reacts against modern society by not allowing society to bring him down hysically or emotionally despite the tension that accompanied his challenges concerning the outcomes of his escape tricks. He reacted against women by trying to defy their feminine magic and spiritualism. His biggest challenge was Margery.

He wanted to prove she was a false performer and could not compare to him. Chapter 3 The writing of Tarzan allowed Edgar Rice Burroughs self-liberation to take place in his life, he also became one of the most widely read writers of his day. Kasson's point of discussing "wild boys" and "wild men" was to allow his readers to see that they were the basis and inspiration for his idea of Tarzan. Each character undergoes a metamorphosis of literal physical change, emotional, mental, and spiritual change. Observers could relate to these changes and appreciate them. I most identify to Burroughs.

I feel like I have acquired some of the same mental and spiritual ideas as he. I enjoyed reading about him more so than Sandow and Houdini. Burroughs possessed similar views on men and women and myself.