"Uncle George" Mowry told our History Seminar that the word "nostalgia" had as it parent-words something invoking "a homesickness of the soul." I heard that to mean 'a strong desire to go back to the good old days'. Then I remembered reading " 'The Good Old Days' ? They were Awful." citing artifacts such as polio and typhoid epidemics, slavery, outdoor toilets, subservient women, high infant mortality rates, child labor, air pollution, and other such 'plagues'.
Dr. Mowry was a highly regarded Historian who had done extensive research in early twentieth century America, particularly the 1920's, sometimes called "The Roaring Twenties" His book, The Twenties: Fords, Flappers, & Fanatics provided an inside look at several of the cultural conflicts prevalent at the time. By all accounts that era brought a lot of life-changing inventions and attitudes to American society. It was also a time of tremendously repressive laws, groups, behaviors. For example, a resurgent KKK terrorized large segments of the population at the time.
Great changes have a way of provoking great anxieties and impulses to enforce conformity to the values of a once powerful societal group that sees its advantages threatened. Mowry observed, "Societies do not give up old ideals and attitudes easily; the conflicts between the representatives of the older elements of traditional American culture and the prophets of the new day were at times as bitter as they were extensive. Such matters as religion, marriage, and moral standards, as well as the issues over race, prohibition, and immigrations were at the heart of the conflict."
And, at such times the things that the 'stronger' inflict upon those deemed 'different', 'inferior' or a 'threat' stagger decency, civility, kindness, common humanity, compassion, and other such humane virtues.
We do not have to be 'professional' historians to recognize that we are living in an era that provides huge challenges to the longing for the 'way things used to be' (or presumed to have been). Even a cursory reading of the history of the American people (even in pre-Revolutionary War times) provides strong evidence that efforts to 'turn back the clock' do not prevail in the long run. Often the anxiety goes 'under ground', to reappear in different manifestations the next time great societal and cultural challenges loom.
Well, maybe there is truth in the late George Santayana's observation that "those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. " Is there yet validity in Bob Dylan's 1964 warning to those who resist when "The Time's They are a'Changing"?
HAPPY JULY FOURTH !!
Satchel
My mother, for every year past her 70s until her death just shy of 100, would shake a finger at we younger ones and say, "Never forget, THESE are the 'Good Ol' Days!'"
ReplyDeleteI have a relative who is constantly forwarding to me things telling what a great time the 1950s were. But they never mention what was happening in civil rights. They never mention the polio epidemics. They never mention Joe McCarthy ... who I met as he came from my home town ... and the ruination of the lives of innocent people he presided over. They never mention the Cold War. They never mention the Korean War. They never mention the Hungarian Revolution.
Ah, yes ... what great times those were!