Art, Literature, and Music Reflect Attitudes of the Times

Art, literature, and music are all forms of creative expression stemming from the dawn of man. They can take us into a total state of fantasy, reach into our hearts and, perhaps, get us to shed a tear, But take a look at any piece of work and it is almost impossible to find that the works show a piece of reality in their time; that, somehow, in their creativity, the artists reflect the attitudes of the times in which they lived. Social problems are often depicted in their works and sometimes the artists’ work may even represent a solution to social ills.

There are millions of pieces of art, literature, and music from which to choose, which can be analyzed to reflect the attitude of the times and how the works show a piece of reality in their time. I decided to pick three to analyze – these works spoke to me: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe; the Great Wall of China; and “Who Protects Us from You,” a rap song by the group KRS-One, though I am not a rap music fan.

One of the most famous books in the world was written during a period in American history when there was a significant amount of social conflict, the mid-1800s. Uncle Tom’s Cabin served as a tremendous indictment against slavery. It was first printed as a series in an abolitionist paper, “The National Era” in 1851 and was then published as a book in 1852. The story gained little attention while it was a series, but when it was published as a book, it was an unprecedented success. Approximately, 500,000 copies were sold in the first five years of its publication. Stowe, the author, was known as a social reformist and was criticized for creating idealized characters in her novel. She showed interesting foresight of this criticism as she prefaced the book: “What personal knowledge the author has had of the truth of incidents such as here are related will appear in its time”; and in her concluding remarks, “The writer has often been inquired…whether this narrative is a true one; and to these inquiries she will give one general answer. The incidents…are, to a very great extent, authentic, occurring, many of them, either under own observation, or that of her personal friends. Some of the most deeply tragic and romantic, some of the most terrible incidents, have also their parallel in reality…there are living witnesses all over our land to testify" (Stowe, H (1991 – reprint) Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Life among the Lowly. 403-404.

This style of writing was known as a “sentimental novel” and was a major form of American literature that came from white writers’ response to slavery. Its aim was to shed a bright on slavery and the true oppression of an entire race of people, since many believed slaves were well taken care of by their masters. While Stowe was not advocating revolutionary change, she emphasized the hypocrisy of those who claimed to be “Christian.” She said, “The object of these sketches is to awaken sympathy and feeling for the African race, as they exist among us; to show their wrongs and sorrows, under a system so unnecessarily cruel and unjust…” (Stowe, H. 9.).

Slavery was an institution in America, as it was primarily under State control. A movement in society, evangelical revivalism – the Second Great Awakening, inspired social reformation in the hearts of Northerners. They argued, “America was in need of moral regeneration by dedicated Christians.” This was the climate of the society in which Stowe lived. The sentiment of her novel was reflective of the times. The book was nearly out of print by the middle of the 20^th century – virtually forgotten except for the negative connotation and name-calling “Uncle Tom” to those blacks that appeared to sympathize with whites. But it gained in popularity almost exactly 100 years later during the civil rights movement – a new type of struggle in the South. Stowe demonstrated “slavery was not just individual cruelty or indifference but part of a vast interlocking social process based on profit, whatever the human cost.” Probably part of its appeal was that it showed slavery as a masculine enterprise emphasizing the lowliness of women in society, who were also regarded as property and were ignorant of their husbands' financial and moral infidelities. Her solution to the social ills rested in the conscious of humanity more than in any policy. Governments around the world had denounced slavery. She shed light on how engrained it was in the culture; even young children were trained to be Masters. She appealed to our “conscience,” questioned our sense of morality, and emphasized the consideration of all members of humanity. She was a woman ahead of her time, even ahead of my own time – the 21^st Century. It is incredibly interesting how her novel was able to appeal to two very distant generations of Americans. (Stowe, H. 414.).

Literature is certainly not the only form of t he arts that reflects the social climate of the era in which it is created. Consider architecture. It can demonstrate the cultural beliefs, religious dogmas, or even the need for protection from warriors and invaders. This is the case with the Great Wall of China. Walls can serve many tangible needs: shelter, support, and enclosure; but they also serve psychological, cultural, and symbolic needs. The Great Wall is not one wall, as many may think, but consists of many great walls stretching some 1,500 miles across north China. Construction began on the wall nearly 3,000 years ago, though very little of the original wall remains. The Great Wall (ChangCheng) was built in “piecemeal fashion” from the fifth century B.C.E., through to 16^th century A.C.E., as a means of defense against raids from the northern nomadic tribes. In the hearts and souls of the Chinese, the wall protected them from the barbaric Huns. There was an additional significance: it separated the seemingly safe patterns of settled agriculture from the alien nomadic life of the steppes and deserts of the other side (Lindesay, W. and Qi, Wu. (1988) Beijing.). The wall also serves to define China’s border since there is no clear natural boundary (Juliano, A. (1981.). Treasures of China. 14.)

Before China was unified, feudal states would fight for control of the area that makes up most of modern-day China (Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002). Traditionally, the Chinese and their “barbarian” nomads viewed each other with contempt. The Chinese perceived the nomads as “barbarians, pastoral wanderers, cheese eaters, and milk drinkers who ate with their hands instead of chopsticks.” The nomads scorned the Chinese as “sedentary and agrarian.” Antagonism grew between the two-different lifestyles, as the Chinese became a sophisticated nation of farmers and bureaucrats (Juliano, A. 14.).

The Wall also represents imperial power. Rulers of ten dynasties built the Great Walls. Built partly of earth faced with brick and partly of masonry, historical texts record as many as 300,000 men working for ten years on the construction of a 500-mile section of the wall. Stories of the hardship suffered by these laborers have been passed down, which contribute to the image of China’s first emperor, Shihuang Di, as a hated tyrant. The mountainous area was known for freezing rain and blizzards. The fertile plains of central China and the deserts of the northwest brought dust storms, brutal sandstorms, and broiling heat. These harsh conditions contributed to the deaths of thousands who perished while constructing what has been called the “longest cemetery in the world” since the laborers were often buried in the wall itself (Juliano, A.).

The strongest sections of the walls, naturally, protect the capital, Beijing (Lindesay, W., et al. 129.). The most popular sections of the wall are 300 to 500 years old, which date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), the last native Chinese Dynasty. The watchtowers on the wall were used as guard posts; and signals of fire and smoke once alerted those inside the wall to invading armies. There were 14 towers at Simatai alone, stationed at quarter-mile intervals, which once housed squads of soldiers (Brown, J.D. (1998) Frommer’s China: The 50 Most Memorable Trips. 275-276.). Guards could always be bribed, so the walls never really deterred raiders.

During the Ming Dynasty, since the wall was a critical factor in the defense of the northern border, cash, silks, and even Chinese princesses were used to buy the friendship or neutrality of tribes near the wall; but still, it did not prevent invasion of the Manchus who ruled until 1911 (Juliano, A. 20.).

The Wall is by no means void of any artistic impression. There is a stunning white marble structure known as the Cloud Platform. Built around 1345 during the Yuan dynasty, it served as the base for three pagodas, which were destroyed decades later. The platform has a hexagonal archway. The ceiling and walls are covered with extraordinary carvings of the Four Heavenly Kings and the texts of Buddhist scriptures in six languages: Nepalese, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Phagspa, Mongolian, Uighur, Xi Xia, and Han Chinese (Lindesay, W., et al. 129.). The last fortress of the Great Wall, Jiayu Guan, has a watchtower. Outside the west gate stands a tablet etched with four large Chinese characters that read, “The martial barrier of all under Heaven” (Juliano, A. 24.).

The emperor Shihuang Di, the “architect” of the Great Wall, built it “not only as a defense but as a definition of the empire he create” – a symbol of his own greatness. The Wall was as important for what it excluded as well what was enveloping on the inside: a new nation (Juliano, A. 25.).

Music, yet another form of artistic expression, has been known to represent the social conflicts of society over the centuries. Not only may the social context be vivid in its lyrics, but the patrons of music, or lack thereof, clearly defines the social climate in which music exists. It is both influenced by society and able to influence society. It is played; and people listen to it, and appreciate it, or not. In order to clearly relate to music one must consider the relationship of the composer to the economic and social world in which he or she lives (Raynor. H. (1972). A Social History of Music from the Middle Ages to Beethoven. 15.).

One of the most controversial forms of music in America is known as rap music (some have called it “noise”). It was also one of the most popular forms of music of the late 20^th century. A repetitious, heavy bass, drumbeat permeates the sound of the music. The rhymed storytelling of the rapper speaks of racial and sexual domination, African-American (aka “Black”) cultural priorities, social and economic conditions, sexual or racial politics. They rap about these struggles and the way they are dealt with by black youth. They use ever-changing combinations of Black urban slang. While there is no doubt the lyrics are educational with regard to social problems, the media prefers to focus on the cursing in the lyrics, violence at rap concerts, the illegal use of music samples, and fantasies of cop-killing. The media suggests that the violent images can incite riots and that the sexually explicit lyrics contribute to the moral “breakdown of society.” But is that argument unlike the one about which came first, the chicken or the egg? (Rose, T. (1999) Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. 2).

In reviewing one particular piece of music, a 1989 hit “Who Protects Us from You,” by KRS-One, the lyricist in a group of rappers called Boogie Down Productions, it is clear it is an address to the power of the police and the history of police in harassing certain members of society:

"Fire! Come down fast!

You were put here to protect us, but who protects us from you?

Every time you say, “that’s illegal,” does it mean that it’s true?

(Chorus) Un Hun

Your authority’s never questioned, no one questions you

If I hit you, I’ll be killed, if you hit me, I can sue

(Chorus) Order, Order!

Looking through my history book, I’ve watched you as you grew

Killing blacks and calling it the law, and worshipping Jesus, too

(Chorus) Bo Bo Bo!

There was a time when a black man couldn’t be down with your crew

(Chorus) Can I have a job Please?

Now you want all the help you can get. Scared? Well ain’t that true

(Chorus) God d**n right

You were put here to protect us, but who protects us from You?

It seems that when you walk the ghetto

You walk with your own point of view

(Chorus) Look at that gold chain

You judge a man by the car he drives or if his hat matches his shoe

(Chorus) You’re looking kind of fresh

But back in the days of Sherlock Holmes, a man was judged by a clue

Now he’s judged by if he’s Spanish, Black, Italian, or Jew

So do not kick my door down and tie me up

While my wife cooks the stew

(Chorus) You’re under arrest!

Cause you were put here to protect us,

But who protects us from you?"

Clearly, KRS-One is talking about the police though he does not mention them by name. The song pushes us to reflect on legal codes, morality, and the great divide between legality and the truth. The call for “Fire” at the beginning of the song is a Rastafarian metaphor for “massive social change, the destruction that precedes revelation, precedes new knowledge.” (Rose, T. 108.).

White, middle-class Americans did not have police brutality or racial profiling in the forefront of their consciousness, a selective memory, if you will, since people quickly forget about the harassment and abuse seen on television during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Yet, apparently nothing changed in many police departments, even in 1989. That changed a little, a few years later, in 1991, with the media frenzy that surrounded the Rodney King beating in Los Angeles, which served as a catalyst to rioting within the community. However, we still see on television, through the news media, how police officers continue to abuse their power. Still, too many people in society think, “If it isn’t happening to me, it isn’t happening at all.”

I, personally, have been witness to police harassment on several occasions. I was married to a black man for over 20 years, which exposed me to prejudices I never experienced. My husband, our three children (ages 4 through 8), and I traveled in our brand new Toyota Camry from Connecticut to Florida to visit my father. While passing through one of those small Florida towns south of Gainesville, we were pulled over by a state trooper. The officer asked us several questions, “Where are you going…who were you visiting…what kind of car are you driving…is this your car…what state do you live in….what city do you live in….” and the questions continued with my husband answering each of them calmly in succession. The more questions the officer asked, the angrier I became; and the thought popped into my head, “What? A black man can’t drive a new car?” So, I piped up, “Look, you only need to ask for a driver’s license and registration. Does it look like we stole this car with three little kids sleeping in the backseat? Tell us why you pulled us over or let us get on our way.” The cop, flustered by my response, went to his car to “run” the tag and license. He told us we were “doing 42 in a 40 mile zone.” I thought, “Incredible!” Though my husband was nervous at first, he, eventually, was able to laugh at my confrontation with the officer. It made me wonder how my husband had become so complacent in answering absurd questions from the police. Obviously, even he cannot help in some ways to being a product of a society that has been dominated by White America for centuries.

Many times, probably more often than not, artistic expression may not hold the key to changing social ills. But expression brings the social conflicts to the surface in a way that is easier to accept.

By Liza Lugo, J.D.

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