Women and Fashion

It’s hard not to consider the role fashion had in European society when reading Lady Montagu’s letters. She certainly takes great pains to describe the clothing, accessories, and hairstyles of her contemporaries in these foreign settings. So much so that I think some of the men in our class would probably rather poke their eyes out than read one more sentence about how someone’s dress was put together or how artfully these women arranged their hair.

While I’ll admit I find the descriptions tedious at times, I can completely buy into the fact that she may have truly spent the time and energy in describing them in the actual letters she sent to her sisters and the other women back in England. Fashion was very important to the aristocracy. It was a mark of prestige to be a trend-setter.

In the European world women of rank had little else to occupy them – they certainly didn’t have full-time jobs or rigorous studies to keep them busy. If they were educated it was in “various skills that contribute to the moral development and the "display" quality of a wife: music, drawing, singing, painting, and so on. So while men were learning the new sciences and philosophies, all that was offered to women in education was decorative ‘accomplishments.’” (Cited)

It’s also not likely these upper class women spent their time taking care of their homes. Most of the nobility would have servants to take care of the everyday mundane tasks like cleaning and laundering.

Although the age of Enlightenment would eventually lead these women into new arenas of education and break down some of the gender barriers so prevalent in the day, this didn’t happen until near the end of the 18th century. For more info on women’s rights and how the Enlightenment started them down the path to equality, visit this website and scroll down to ORIGINS. It’s not a rosy picture, but at least the concept was tossed around.

During Lady Montagu’s letter writing days it would have been perfectly reasonable to expect her sisters and the other ladies would want to hear about the continental fashions. It would have been gender appropriate content, which likely helps explain why her letters to Pope contain very little mention of such frivolities.

Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, while trying to research the Age of Enlightenment and the role of women during this period, I found a very interesting article regarding the attitude toward sex during this period in time. While it doesn’t mention that the women were reading these publications, it does perhaps offer some insight into Lady Montagu’s fascination with the “exotic” sexual practices in each country.

True letters or the art of epistle writing?

While I enjoyed reading the first series of letters assigned for this week, I must admit I wasn't as fully engaged with the writer as I had expected to be. Of course, upon reflection, this might have been due to my state of mind and not necessarily the fault of Lady Wortley Montagu. It was well after my bedtime when I started reading her letters.

However, I'm feeling a bit more partial to her as the reading continues. I think this is in part due to the background info discussed in class on Monday evening. Knowing that she, as one of England's privileged elite, was scarred by the smallpox gives insight into her character and her writings. She becomes a sympathetic character in my mind's eye. As a woman, I can't imagine the daily insecurities she must have lived with every day. How horrible! Yet, she does not seem to use these imperfections and the social stigma they must carry as an excuse to be mean, petty, or generally disagreeable.

So, suddenly she is a person and not just a name on a byline.

And that brings me to her letters. I think it makes a huge difference in knowing that these were not the actual letters gathered from around England, but her imitation of correspondence she sent during her travels. I found this knowledge somewhat changed my perspective on her letters. Suddenly they weren't quite so...trustworthy. They seemed suddenly more a work of literary art than casual letters sent to friends and family. Given the information in the letters and the lack of any true gossip about England, I suspect Lady Montagu's recrafted letters would only resemble the missives she actually sent while abroad.

If this is true, is it a bad thing? I don't think so. Epistle writing is very engaging. It feels very personable and warm. Intimate.

However, I will be paying more attention to the kind of information she does and doesn't put into her writings. I'm not sure what I hope to discover by doing this, but I know I won't be able to help myself.

Said's Theory on Orientalism & the Writings of Thomas Dallam

First, I had to refresh myself on what exactly was Said's theory on Orientalism. If I understand it correctly, Said's theory is that Western writers have misrepresented the Middle East and created a romanticized idea of "the Orient", which completely dismisses the variety of lifestyles, customs and beliefs found throughout this vast territory.

At first I must admit I'm wasn't sure how a theory about scholarly work could be applied to travel writing, especially if you consider the writings to be autobiographical in nature and not scholarly. However, after a little reflection, I could see his point to a certain extent. If I think of writer's like Biddulph, I can see how his prejudices would support Said's theory.

However, there are other instances where I would completely disagree. Consider Thomas Dallam. His writing did not portray a backward, wicked society. He did not set out to belittle the Sultan or the other Muslims. His diary excerpts were very accepting of the culture he found hismelf in. His portrayal of the Muslims he came into contact with are very flattering, actually. He made sure to mention that he was treated with courtsey and kindness at every turn.

Of course, Dallam wasn't in the Sultan's court pursuing religious ends or enduring the hardships of slavery. He was treated to a very privledged view of the Ottoman Empire. He was, in fact, an honored guest. Although he lacked any formal title or diplomatic immunity, he had been sent with a miraculous gift for the Sultan from Queen Elizabeth.

Not to mention he was also a much sought after commodity: a skilled trademan.

I would have to argue that Said's Orientalism may hold some kernal of truth in it, but it is not a hard and fast rule you can blindly apply to every Western writer discussing the Middle East. I think its a dangerous generalization that could be inappropriately applied.

What?

On my Google homepage I have a module for the Drudge Report. News headlines pop up in this little window throughout the day. Here's one that happened to catch my eye today:

Congressman: There are 'too many mosques in this country'...

Now tell me you don't want to go read this latest bit of religous discrimination taking place in our government. And here I thought perhaps the MTimes article had been a farce, a cheap ploy to gain readership.

I stand corrected. Apparently, people really are this intolerant.

A Turk in England

Well, wasn't that a dramatic change of pace? Personally, I found it refreshing. I think the thing I liked the most was that the story was told with a close, intimate first person perspective. That may sound strange when everything we've read so far has been told in first person narrative, but there's a distinct difference in the style of Ishmael's account and those of the other writers we've read.

Ishmael's story is immediate. It's about particular instances, a catalogue of experiences instead of impressions. The tone is more personal and personable than anything we've read thus far. In fact, I'd say it almost read like a piece of modern fiction, so immediate was the tone and impressions of his story. Of course, the typeface itself made it impossible to forget the story had been told during a time when the printing press apparently only came with one "s". How fun! It took a few paragraphs to become accustomed to the bizarre typography.

As for the poor man's experiences..what can I say? At times I wondered if it were possible that all these misfortunes had truly befallen our little friend. I've heard of bad luck, but his was tragic. Beatings, robberies and unjust imprisonment seemed to be a recurring theme in his life. If those weren't bad enough, he also seems destined to lose people he loves. First he lost his native family when he was enslaved. Then, over the course of the next few decades, he loses almost of all his children.

Damn!

I wonder how many fictional stories his sad tale have spawned. I can easily see it influencing generations.

Joseph Pitt

I must admit I thought I'd never make it through the entire thing. I forced myself to read for hours on end Sunday evening and still I didn't finish. So today on lunch I finished the last ten pages or so. Then, because I am a nerd, I re-read the Blackboard announcement that said to focus on three of the chapters. Three. And I read the entire thing!

Of course, I have no one to blame but myself. If I would have read the instructions with a little more attention to detail, I would have been done reading within a few hours instead of a few days. Geesh.

I don't think the extra reading hurt any, though. I think it actually might have helped me develop a better feel for the writing as a whole. That could just be a fanciful delusion I'm selling myself, though.

This book had a lot of details in it. Too many to remember, actually. I know my highlighter was certainly working overtime. Of course, I tend to highlight things that snag my interest and not necessarily things that are 100% relevant to the potential discuss that may arise. After all, I'm sure no one else made funny little notations in the magin about the development of what sounds suspiciously like Nair. Not to mention the special attention I drew to the architecture of Algier. Neither of those two things really provided any insight into the writing or the author, but I found them interesting.

We talked quite a bit about Joseph Pitt and his writing in class today. Personally, I find him intriguing. There were so many contradictions in his work. Trying to read between the lines with him was more difficult than I had anticipated. Then again, I had expected his account to focus on the things that happened to him. I had envisioned a journey through the trials and tribulations of slavery. I don't know that he fulfilled that expectation, at least not in the way I expected.

I think that's what I find so fascinating about this book. Not that it was a page turner, because it wasn't, but that it seemed both informative and open, and yet at the same time it also seemed hesitant and defensive. The contrasts were subtle at times and jarring at others. Yet, I never felt him to be an untrustworthy narrator, just a conflicted one.

I try imagine what it must have been like for him during the construction of this piece of literature: a man newly returned from sixteen years of slavery in a foreign country. He must have been anxious to fit back into the old life. Yet, it is easy to imagine that his friends and family, while rejoicing to have him home, may also have been looking for the tell-tale signs of cultural assimilation. He might have come home to his family and his country, but how could he be other than a changed man?

Throughout the reading of this text I really felt like it was a hundred page (or more) plea to his fellow countrymen to accept him, to understand him. Yet, even so, he didn't totally sell out. He owned up to his "sins" even while proclaiming his undying devotion to his Christain upbringing. Something I'm not so sure he truly felt at all times during his captivity. But I could be wrong.

Travel Plans

I wish I were making travel plans that include airplane tickets and a hotel. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be leaving Michigan any time in the near future. Between work, family obligations, and school, who has the time to go travelling? Not me.

Lack of funds might also have something to do with it, too, but that's a completely different discussion.

In all honesty, most of my travelling is done through reading. Although I'm not an English major (I know! The surprise!), I am an avid reader. I have visited many wondrous and fantastic places without needing a passport or a series of shots to stave off things like malaria and dysentery. From the safety of my home I can set sail on a ship bound for the Cayman Islands, or I can walk onto a train platform and buy that ticket to Chicago. A little suspension of reality and disbelief can take me even further. I can jump between solar systems or visit a magical world where dragons fly and unicorns step through dense forests.

Fiction has been my escape for more years than I care to admit. It became so much a part of me that I soon found myself creating my own little imaginary worlds and populating it with people I loved and despised.

As I've matured both in reality and in terms of my writing, I've discovered that my imagination needs to be fed. I'm not talking about inspiration. This is not about those instances when an overheard phrase or partial conversation can trigger an entire scene or provide the theme for your next big project. The kind of nourishment I'm referring to is found in the very real world in which we live. It's experience. It's tangible.

I signed up for this class because, to borrow a cliché, I knew it would broaden my horizons. I don’t expect to visit the Middle East any time in the near future. Heck, I don’t even know if I’ll be visiting it the distant future. Of all the places I want to go, the “Middle East” as I think of it, doesn’t make the list. I think one of the main reasons would have to be because of the constant threat of danger that seems to linger there. I’m all for travelling, but only if my safety is pretty much a given.

So while I may never walk in Mecca, Medina, or Jerusalem, I can visit these places the only way I know how: the Internet. I’m kidding! Sort of. The truth is the Internet is a great resource for researching almost anything. Yet, it doesn’t always turn up the results you most desire. Searches can be thwarted by pages and pages of nonsense, misrepresentation, or untruths.

I think this is one of the reasons why I thought travel writing would be great. First-hand accounts may carry misrepresentations, untruths, and nonsense, but unless the narrator is a complete fraud, the information contained in their stories is real. Their observations may be skewed by any number of things (education, religion, exposure, biases, prejudices..) but these writings aren’t fictional. They are someone’s truth. They are someone’s insights and explanations.

I will never be able to experience 16th or 17th century life in Algeria or Turkey. I can’t climb into a time machine and set the dial to whatever year suits my fancy, but I can read an accounting of what life was like for this man or that woman. I can look through their eyes and see a world so unlike my own.

Already I've collected quite a variety of images. Here are some of my favorites:

From Joseph Pitts I discovered the mateeja. This plain is transformed into a marketplace several times a week. I imagine the makeshift markets between the farmhouses. I don't know exactly what this would look like or smell like or sound like, but I have an image.

Later in his work he describes a military encampment where "the bey's tent is pitched in the middle of the camp, and all the tents are pitched so close together that an horse cannot pass, and this is so ordered that there may be but one entrance into the camp, which is directly toward the door of the bey's tent". (p. 237) Can you see that? What it must look like? Now try to imagine the sound of soldiers going about their business, of talk and prayer drifting through the night air. It seems a strange custom, dangerous even, but yet it must have worked. Figuring out why is the challenge.

Even their most common punishment is fascinatingly bizarre. I can't imagine being beaten on the soles of your feet. Ouch!

Even Biddulph, that holier-than-thou preacher, managed to incorporate some interesting comments on the culture of the area he visited. There's a paragraph were he discusses the marriage practices of the Sultan's sisters. Even if this is complete bunk, which it probably is considering the source, I still found it interesting. Apparently these women are told " 'Daughter, or sister, I give thee this man to be they slave and bedfellow; and if he is not loving, dutiful, and obedient unto thee, here I give thee a canzhare (that is, a dagger) to cut off his head.' And always after, those daughter or sisters of the king wear a broad and sharp dagger." (p. 95) How funny!

So in answer to the question, what are my travel plans this semester? I’m going to keep reading. I’m going to visit the times and places our narrators take us and I’m going to try to make the most of it. I’m going to keep notes on interesting cultural differences and customs. I’m going to try to read between the lines and figure out the character behind the byline. In short, I’m going to feed my muse.

Any maybe learn a little something along the way!

That's a Lot of Paper

I printed off next week's reading assignments...yikes! That's a lot of paper! I couldn't even use a regular stapler to hold them together. Thank goodness my office has a heavy duty stapler able to punch through inches of paper at a time.

Blount's Opinions and Experiences

Well, first Ihave to say more than 95% of Blount's writing would have to be considered opinion. The few instances when he actually describes his experience in Turkey are few and far between. Mostly the man just rambled on about his opinions, some of which seemed very tainted by prejudice.

Strangely, I didn't expect this. His little introduction made me think "here's a guy who really wants to learn". I thought he would be one of those types who don't like to be told what they should think, but is determined to come to his own opinions based on personal experience. I thought the fellow had an open mind. That impression didn't last very long.

I think what surprised me the most was not a prejudice against the Turks, but against the Jews. He seemed very tolerant in many ways of the Turks and even seemed quite fond of them in some places. Not that he didn't have plenty of negative things to say about their military, religion, and culture. He did. Yet, the Jews seemed to get under his skin in a completely different way.

During his discussion of the Jews, his language became less forgiving. He used words like foolish, shallow, liars and cheaters. He continually challenged their intelligence and intregity. I would have to say these opinions were influenced by prior prejudices.

Oh, before I sign off, I thought I would list all the words I failed to recognize in his writings:

1. janissaries
2. galcots
3. timariots
4. bastinadoed
5. santones

I'm going to have to do some research to figure out what those words mean or who they refer to. Okay...I'm outta here.

Questions Answered and Insight Given

So, remember my earlier questions about possible copyright infringements and, even more importantly, the effect of the selective editor? Yeah. Those were actually addressed in class without me bringing them up.

Although my earlier copyright infringement question was about the editor's determination to publish against the traveller's will, I guess there was more of an issue with improper "borrowing" and lack of citation going on here. I guess much of what Biddulph put into his writings couldn't be considered "common knowledge" and had actually been borrowed from other sources. Interesting little side note, I thought.

The real kicker is the suspicion that there was no mysterious third party publishing these writings against Biddulph's will, but that Biddulph himself was putting forth his writings. I find that particularly amusing. The more I learn about this guy the less I think of him. Not that he had very far to fall. His attitude and prejudices got under my skin almost immediately. Maybe that's because I don't like to be preached at and his writing felt very preachy.

I thought his later indiscretions with the "strumpet" were a fitting ending to his tale. The hypocrite.

But enough about Biddulph. I really think I would enjoy reading the rest of Dallum's diary. Oh, it might drive me batty to have to wade through the 16th century prose, but the content would be well worth it I think.

Although, in all honesty, for my own selfish purposes I think I could even find value in writings like those of Biddulph. It's like looking into someone's head, seeing their inner most thoughts and values displayed for your voyeuristic pleasure. As a wannabe writer I find all of this fodder for the imagination. Imagine what a character Biddulph would make in fiction. Oh, the conflict that man could cause! Dallum, on the other hand, would make a likable side-kick (I'm not sure he's hero material..but one never knows until one tries to make a hero of a mere man).

I also find the foreign settings to be of great interest, especially since I tend to write Science Fiction and Fantasy. I'm already filing some customs away for later review. Of course, if I hope to remember them, I really should put them into my OneNote writing notebook. (I love OneNote. It's amazing. I really don't know why more writers don't take full advantage of it...)

I guess that's really all I have for tonight. The last thing that comes to mind is to say "Thanks!" to the other students who have opted for blogging their journals. So far I only have one web address and I've put it in my sidebar.

Not Quite as Enjoyable

Okay, I really didn't care all that much for Chapter 2 in Armstrong's book. (I know...I should have finished reading Chapter Two sometime last week. I know.)

I've got to be honest. I did a lot of skimming through Chapter Two. The political strife just didn't interest me as much as learning about the foundations of Islam had in Chapter One. Maybe it's because the names were so foreign, but I couldn't keep anything straight. I felt slightly overwhelmed.

The Preacher's Journeys

I'm slowly working my way through tomorrow's assigned readings. I forgot to print off one of the E-Reserve documents, though, so I'll have to read that at lunch tomorrow.

Today's final travel writing example was William Biddulph's The Travels of a Certain Englishman. It was about as different from Dallam's diary excerpts as you could get. It seemed very...judgemental and, at times, harsh. So even though the writing was much improved over Dallam's (yay for proper spelling!), I must admit I preferred Dallam's travel writing over Biddulph's.

I wonder, though, if it's the fault of the selections collected by the gentleman who pushed to have these letter excerpts published. Did he pick out only those items of of Biddulph's letters that would reinforce his particular world-view and prejudices? I wonder if the writings would appear more balanced if we actually had the opportunity to read the letters in their entirety?

Back to that whole publishing against the author's will thing. Did I read that right? Were these excerpts truly published against Biddulph's wishes? This must have been before copyright issues came into existence. Although, I wonder what today's copyright laws would make of that situation!

Back to the travel writing...

I have to say I highlighted a lot of derogatory remarks the author made about not only the Turks and their contemporaries, but also about other Christian sects. It was clear he thought himself well above those he met on his travels. Very few groups earned a respectful mention. Makes you wonder what kind of missionary he was.

One last thought on his writings: they were dry. Very factual and not very flavorful. They read more like a history lesson than personal correspondence.

Yikes!

Well, I made it through Thomas Dallam's diary excerpts. Ouch. Sixteenth century writing skills leave something to be desired...the spelling about killed me. Although, once I became accustomed to it, Dallam's experiences in Constantinople were quite intriguing.

I love how he took the time to put some description into his diary. His writing, despite its less than reader-friendly authenticity, was very engaging. I think my favorite passage of description dealt with the concubines he spied on through the grate in the wall. I even started to translate it into modern language.

Of course, these descriptions are important to me not only because they make the reading all that more enjoyable, but because I write and as a writer, I find such passages inspiring. They definitely get the muse motivated.

Something else I picked up on was how intent the "grand seyinor" was to keep Dallam around. I imagine the determination was based on the fear that if the organ-maker left there would be no one capable of maintaining the mechanical contraption. It was in the man's best interest to keep Dallam happy and content, to show him the best of this culture.

I must admit I didn't think the harem scene was by happenstance. I thought he was being set up, that the forbidden glimpse would lead to blackmail. This suspicion came into sharper focus when he was pretty much bullied off the ship and back onto dry land.

The only thing I really didn't catch - and this is probably more my failing than Dallam's - is how he finally managed to escape Constantinople. I know he went home on a ship bound for England, but the details were sketchy. I guess you can't really critique the author though when you consider he was writing in a diary of all things. He likely never anticipated his writing would end up being the subject of discussion in a 21st century classroom.

Learning about Islam

Since it's technically still the first week of class, we really haven't had a chance to delve into the travel writing yet. We're mainly focusing on Islam and Muslim culture. In my opinion, Karen Armstrong's Islam: A Short History is by far the better of the two assigned readings we've had so far. The author's presentation is very easy to read and seems to be free of any subjective commentary.

Some of the more interesting things I've learned so far*:

• The traditional role of women in Islam is markedly different than the stereotypes would have you believe. They were granted "rights of inheritance and divorce centuries before Western women were accorded such status". Not to mention that "the Quran makes men and women partners before God, with identical duties and responsibilities."


• The historical and cultural reasons behind vieling and polygamy. Although based on recent in-class discussion, I wonder how accurate the book is on this subject. I didn't get the impression that our resident Muslims agreed with Armstrong's presentation on this subject matter. More on that later, maybe.


• That Muhammad had worked with the Jews and urged other Muslims to treat the "People of the Book" with respect. Considering today's religious intolerance on all fronts this was a very progressive attitude.

I must admit when I first started reading the book and the chapter on "Islam and Change" out of Esposito's book I felt a little overwhelmed by the unfamiliar terminology. My knowledge prior to these reading experiences were limited to the Quran, Islam, Muslim, and mosque. I know I should be embarrassed to admit such a thing in so public a manner, but I think I think I'm feeling more ashamed than embarrassed. How well educated can I consider myself when I know so little about the world's second largest religion?

So I've started a small self-translated dictionary. I wonder if I have them right, though. Here's my interpretation of some commonly used words. Let me know if I'm wrong!

Sharia - God's law in revelation
Ulama - Islamic religious leadership (is this across all sects, though?)
imam = community
purdah = seclusion
chador = veil
caliphate = reign of a specific Islamic leader
sunna = time-honored tribal tradition of wisdom & practice

How'd I do? These interpretations were based not on Google searches or Wikipedia research, but on the contextual reading of Armstrong's and Esposito's books. I was too lazy to actually get off my behind to research them, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong on more than one account.

More later!

*All quotations have been taken from Armstrong's book. Mainly from Chapter 1.

First Post

Well, this is my first post on my "English Travellers in the Middle East" journal. Since there is a remote possibility that someone other than my instructor may read this, I feel the need for a few disclaimers.

1. I have very little knowledge about the Middle East.
2. Other than the glaringly obvious, I am not up on current events.
3. I know next to nothing about Islam or Muslims.

I am willing to admit I am hopelessly clueless about the subject of this course, which is in part why I signed up for this class. How better to break through stereotypes and ignorance than in an academic setting where questions are expected and not ridiculed. Well, not too much anyhow.

Over the next 15 weeks or so I will be posting reactions to class discussions and assigned readings. Don't expect profound insights. I'll be happy coming away with a fundamental undertanding of a world so alien (or is it?) from my own.

You may also notice that there are some links in my sidebar regarding Islams & Muslims. I'm not advocating any of them. I cannot comment on their accuracy or lack thereof. I simply think that it's interesting to see what practitioners of the faith are saying in the informal world of blogging.

Please feel free to comment!