Spatial Barriers

In Jane Austen’s Emma, there is a strict sense of social barriers confining individuals to stay within their class or possibly trying to hang out with those a class above themselves. This novel seems to be expressing the social restrictions that were the norm in the 19^th century. Emma is not even open to the idea that her best friend marry, Harriet, marry Mr. Martin because as she states “The yeomanry are precisely the order of people with whom I feel I can have nothing to do with" (30).

Emma seems to have her mind made up in the fact that social class is everything. Social class governs their time, determines where you are and determines who you can hang out with. It is a social barrier and in turn becomes a spatial barrier just by the fact that in Emma’s time class decides space. Trying to compare this idea to our time is partly difficult. Our world in the 21^st century seems to be less interested in class and more in the fact of whether or not you have the money. In the 19^th century one was born into a social class and, like Emma implies in her quote, one will always be the class they were born into. She makes it seem like there would be no chance for Mr. Martin to change. So instead she advises Harriet to look at a rich man born into wealth, surely a fine candidate for marriage during the time.

Over time our culture has assimilated in a sense and gotten used to the fact that one may be born into a social class but it is not the controlling factor. It seems that in today’s world there are so many more factors that can add to or take away from your total net value. Today you have you internet value, you monetary value, your property value, etc. In the 19^th century all you had was your name and your land. Hopefully you have a name with a rich heritage. But also if you had the most land in the town you were considered the wealthiest. During that time it would have been very difficult to get land any means other than passed down by the family.

What makes this so interesting is the way this book can capture culture in a relatable location 200 years ago. One can see what culture was like and draw connections seeing how far we have come and figured out. Humans have the ability to change their situation nowadays. One can be working to minimum wage jobs living on the south side barely getting by. In the 19^th century people had no means to get out of a hole like this once they were in it but in the 21st century if you can scrape together a little bit of money, it can go a long way: inventing, investing in stocks, lottery, schooling, etc.. Our culture makes it easier to get out of that hole and never ending cycle of trying to get out of debt.

Perceptions of Emma Woodhouse

Time and space can be defined and presented in many different ways. Most of the time we simply try to explain and define time and space for ourselves in the present, although it can be just as insightful to do so for a given person and time, for example Emma Woodhouse from Jane Austen’s Emma. Throughout this book there are many elements that help us define a sense of time and space- despite the fact that it is fictitious- and in doing so it can make it much easier to understand and connect with the story.

To briefly summarize the portion of the book that I will discuss, the book Emma takes place in England during the late eighteenth century, a time before almost all of today’s technology. The main character in the book is Emma Woodhouse who is an intelligent, beautiful, and very well-to-do young lady. She has recently “lost” a good friend due to marriage and has decided to spend her time refining a young girl, Harriet Smith, with intentions of marrying her to a man named Mr. Elton. However, there is another man, Mr. Martin, who wishes to marry Harriet, but Emma thinks of him as too lowly of a man for Harriett and convinces her to deny his proposal.

Emma’s perception of space is immediately and obviously different than ours. The story begins with her being deeply upset that her house maid and life-long friend, Miss Taylor/Mrs. Weston, is getting married and will therefore have to move out. Emma seems to act as if she will never see her again because she is now what I would guess to be about two miles away, which, if provided a horse and carriage, is not very far at all. Also, Emma spends almost all of her time at her own home, Hartfield. The book does not say exactly why this is but I find it very peculiar because she appears to interact with only a few people yet she is thoroughly concerned with what everyone thinks of her. I think that this helps show that Emma perceives her home at Hartfield as the only place of any importance.

The perception of time in the book is not as apparent as space is. In fact I believe the way Jane Austen writes the book is really the only perception of time that we can gather from and not so much how Emma perceives time. For example, Jane Austen leaves out almost any details about time; rarely mentioning how much time has passed from one scene to the next or even what time of day it is. This is a very interesting style of writing because it makes a majority of the book seem as if everything is one big event or even at times a sort of montage.

The setting and timing in this book quite clearly shows the differences in our perception of time and space as opposed to that of Emma Woodhouse’s. Also, in trying to identify and explain these differences it becomes both easier to understand the characters and their reasoning as well as provide a new aspect to how one reads and interprets the story of the book.

A Sense of Space

Space and the way we perceive it has a drastic impact on our lives. It defines who we interact with , what we do, and where we go. The development in technology and shifting societal norms have changed how people perceive the space around them in new and interesting ways, similar to the changes happening around the turn of the last century. Kearns talks about the changes in such space in his book, The Culture of Time and Space. I would like to investigate further parallel thoughts for the present era.

Major ideas that influenced the perception of space in the early 20^th century include Cubism, special relativity and general relativity. Cubism came about for a few different reasons. As photography improved and became more popular the need for realistic two dimensional renderings were reduced. Cubism is commonly called an experiment of showcasing multiple view points within one canvas. The slight abstractness allowed an artist to convey much more feeling and depth than more traditional style. These were important first steps in expanding our perceptions of space in art beyond the flat plane of canvas.

On the scientific front, special and general relativity brought forth many new ideas of space. The Michelson-Morley experiment disproved the existence of the ether and Einstein's theory of special relativity helped explain what actually happened. The size of space was now able to be accurately measured using light to form a sense of absolute space. General relativity helped change even that a little. Space was no longer nice simple Euclidean geometry that most people are familiar with, but rather consisted of many deformations and bending due to gravitational forces and energy density. Imaging such a space is quite difficult considering the scales of size involved.

Modern technology has also influenced our perceptions of space. Services such as Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites have lowered the limit for physical proximity on social and even romantic interactions. It is not only possible, but common to have a close relationship with someone over a thousand miles away. In the 19^th and early 20^th century a distance of only a few miles was a huge strain on any such relationship. Back then all meaningful action was done primarily in person. The advent of the internet has all but removed that requirement. I would argue that meaningful interactions are still best done in person, but current technology and social norms have allowed relationships to develop completely void of face to face meetings.

Another development that change our concept of space is the difference in how we travel. Back in the 19^th century, people were primarily limited to either foot or horse and carriage. This means that in order to travel more than a couple a significant amount of time and effort had to be expended. This is part of the reason that people often did not interact with others more than a couple of miles from their home. When some one visited from 'far' off, it was generally a big deal. At the turn of the 20^th century railroads were common place and personal vehicles were no longer too rare. This allowed cities and other major developments to expand. It was now feasible to traverse an entire city quickly thanks to railcars and the like. Today cars are extremely common place. The time it took to cover even a few miles on foot can now cover over a hundred in a car. This allows locations to feel closer as the time it takes to reach them has decreased significantly. The popularity of air travel has done a similar change but on a global scale. No where near as much trouble and planning is needed to travel from Atlanta to New York or even across the country.

I can see as technology further develops, our sense of social and practical space will continue to expand. The efficiency of such space will also be called into question as more junk fills our world. We are running out of easily accessible space and will have to take a good hard look on where we can go from here.

~Matthew McKenna

Space as Represented in Emma

Though Emma is a work of fiction, one can find many examples of space and time in the early twentieth century through reading it. In this blog post, I will focus especially on renditions of space throughout the novel. These examples come in physical as well as nonphysical manifestations.

The physical renditions of space in Emma coincide with those of nearly every society before modern day transportation became widespread and affordable. In the book, we may note that the main form of transportation in their era is the horse and carriage. When Mrs. Taylor moves out, Emma notes how she is now half a mile away and treats this as a great distance where in today’s society, it would be considered extremely short. Also noted is how sixteen miles (the distance to London) is so inconvenient to traverse that Emma never sees her older sister. Today, sixteen miles outside of London is consumed by suburbia. Of course, the rise of the suburbs came with the rise of the automobile and public transportation. These inventions were not to come for another few decades, leaving each space in Emma much more confined than our modern day world in its move for globalization.

Due to these constraints in travel, local communities are extremely tight-knit in Emma. Meaning, any outsiders that come into that community are treated with suspicion and distrust. In one sense, a community in the world of Emma is one big “in-group” the way that a clique of people living in a dorm here at college is. But because of the lack of exposure to new faces in Emma’s world, this effect is especially true and magnified to a greater degree.

Within these communities, each person gains status and influence based on space acquired through wealth. For many such as Emma, this comes with the family name. The effects springing from this ownership result in very important nonphysical results. The more land a family owns, the greater their status within the community. The command of space is almost seen as a show of power. On the contrary, those who do not own land are either in service to those who do or are simply of a lower status. This difference in ownership of land is used to regulate social interactions. Those who own land typically refuse to marry into a family that does not. Socially, the two crowds do not intermingle in the same way. When these two classes do intermingle, there is a very different air to the interactions therein.

Space plays an especially important role in Emma. From social interactions to travel limitations, the confinement of space has an enormous impact on local culture and business. Emma gives us an opportunity to look into a time just prior to the creation and widespread use of the automobile and public transit. By examining the time before and after the introduction of these technologies, we are able to appreciate and understand the magnitude of change technologies such as the automobile and public transportation via bus and subway have brought to our world and society.

The Controversies of Technology

In this day and age, we are experiencing a rapid change in culture, education, personal interaction, and information flow. The Internet and the many new technologies associated with the World Wide Web are the primary cause for this transformation. The debatable question for this complex metamorphic process is quite simple: “Are these new technologies doing humanity good or bad?” In Digital Nation, a man named Marc Prensky, CEO and founder of Games2train, answers this question in a very logical and acceptable way. His words can be paraphrased as such: ‘like all other technological adjustments we have gone through, people will complain. In truth, there are skills and pieces of knowledge that we lose. But there are also many important things that we gain (1).’ There are pros and cons to this new technology that we have allowed into our lives and our society.

In terms of the benefits, technology allows us to rapidly obtain information as well as communicate with people from all around the glob without taking a step outside of our house. Due to technology, the world is becoming more and more globalized. The more these communicative technologies grow and expand, the more efficient and small the world becomes. Now that we have smartphones, one can reach out at any time of need to a loved one or the authorities. Instead of crossing the ocean via ship or plane, one can simply take the technological alternative: jump into the virtual realm and accept it as a less expensive, more convenient substitute. Socializing with people thousands of miles away whom you have never met in person has become a simple task. So much information is at the very tips of our fingers where before it was stored in the minds of men or leather bound volumes. The ability to find so much with such little effort seems such a great treasure until we examine the consequences such privileges have on our human minds.

With so much information so close at hand, society has become dependant on the new machines of this technological era. So many of these machines have become “necessary” for work, socializing, entertainment, etc. that we cannot escape. The majority of society cannot completely disconnect themselves from the digital realm without facing extreme anxiety. It encompasses, their life and work. It swallows society into a sea of information, flooding the brain and goading insanity and anxiety. As seen on Digital Nation, many people become addicted, whether through games or social networking, to this technology. One of the major problems deriving from these changes is that of becoming immersed the digital world and seemingly forgetting about the true physical realm. Those that are caught in this trap must be rehabilitated in camps or clinics much like those who fall prey to a drug addiction. There is a great potential for the endangerment of human health in this technology via addiction. Though, like most things, there is good in moderation.

In order to lead a healthy life while still incorporating the new technologies into one’s life, one must practice strict moderation. For most people, this isn’t an issue. For others, managing the time spent on such technologies is difficult. Regardless, with moderate use, the Internet and its luxuries are a great boon to humankind. We are now able to do certain calculations through computers that would be impossible by hand. We are now able to stand at the front of our academic areas while keeping in touch with the leaders of the field and their research regardless of where they are. Meetings from across the globe can convene in a virtual room over the Internet saving time and money. The convenience of technology in society and business is something that should be used, not lived. Once you begin over-immersing yourself in the virtual world and neglecting yourself in the physical, your life will decline.

Sources:

1. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/

Time stamp: 1:20:35 for Prensky

Technology

Today’s society has become consumed by technology. It is nearly impossible to escape. Even as I type this I am texting on my phone, watching TV, and checking my e-mail while in a room with several other people on their computers and phones. Is it a problem? Is it making our lives easier? How much is too much? These are just a few of the questions that we are faced with today.

                All across the world people are distracted from their everyday lives because of technology. Technology has now evolved to creating almost an entirely new virtual world, whether it’s Facebook, texting, or a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game. This new aspect of our lives has in many ways become a distraction. It may seem like all this technology is allowing us to do more but at what point do we become too consumed with this “virtual” world and stop paying attention to the real world. In South Korea doctors have actually begun diagnosing “chronic online usage” as a psychiatric problem and they have even implemented several treatments and preventatives. One of the treatments includes a ten day program where they attend group sessions and are not allowed to use any sort of electronic. As excessive and even absurd as that might seem is it not more absurd than the idea that a society could become so obsessed with technology? In the past few decades the number of people diagnosed with ADD has greatly increased but why? Is it possible that all of today’s technology has been the cause? However, we are all so consumed and controlled by technology that even if technology was the reason behind illness we couldn’t stop. Our society thrives so heavily off of our emails, our TVs, our computers, or our Blackberries to point where not having them makes us seemingly useless. For example, it is required to have a laptop if you attend Georgia Tech and indeed it would be impossible to pass nearly any course without one. Has this dependency changed who we are as members of society?

Blurry Time

How is it time seems to pass by so quick in certain moments but then time will take forever in other instances? To humans, time seems inconstant yet they assign tiny units to time to help guide them on a daily basis. One might even be tricked into thinking that not looking at their watch as much will make the time go by faster. It is all a matter of perception, and technological advances in the past century have altered this perception of time.

In Stephen Kern’s book The Culture of Time and Space, the reader is taken on a journey through technological advances beginning in the late 1880’s. Kern spends a good part focusing only on time. Kern discusses the “blurring of time”. Specifically he was referring to Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb and how it seemed to “blur” night and day. All people had before lights were candles and probably some sort of oil light. Now all of a sudden the time of day that was so restricted has become as clear as day. People can treat night as day now.

Much like light bulbs opened up new possibilities for humans and changed their perception of time, cinemas did nearly the same. Cinemas were this new canvas for artists to play with. All of a sudden directors are experimenting with showing time in their films. They can cut away or go right back to a scene. Director’s can reverse or speed up time. It seems the more the directors play with time in their films, the more the audience can get lost in the film. I am sure everyone knows that feeling when they have sunken into a really good movie and maybe you are at the climax. Everything else in the room and what’s going on in your life is invisible. You feel like you are inside the movie. People enjoy movies for this exact reason, that feeling of getting lost in them.

It seems that technology has refined the art of “getting lost.” From thousands of dollars for a surround sound digital entertainment system to the latest in Apple gear, humans seem fascinated by this hobby of technology. We want to learn more and get more. And it seems the more we get, the more we “blur” time, or at least our perception of it. We carry portable everything these days so that we can speed up time and be entertained wherever we are.

I feel like I have experienced both sides on the matter of technology. I enjoy backpacking and recall a few experiences where I have had nothing more high tech than a light bulb. All you have is yourself and the woods. Time seems uniform but at the same time you forget about it. There is no technology to remind you about the time or what you can multitask into these next few moments of free time. I would have to say technology makes me anxious at times. The more stuff I have cluttered into my life the more time is “blurred.” I think of the “blurring of time” as unhealthy to do too often. It is good to enjoy a good movie or computer game every so often but only in moderation.