“The Fragile Web”:

The Reconstruction of the Past in A Midwife’s Tale

By Investigating various cinematic and authorial techniques, this article strives to discover the problematic issue of reconstructing an otherwise fluid past. Because the past is disjointed, subjective, and often goes ‘officially’ unwritten, both the necessity for imaginative (re)construction as well as extensive academic historical research are aligned to show the tensions between a ‘true’ and a ‘factual’ historical representation. Moreover, tensions created the structure of A Midwifes Tale and shifting means of representation are examined in an effort to expose the mandate behind the film’s portrayal. Kent also further emphasizes the difficulties of constructing the narrative of the oppressed (female) subject, and argues that A Midwife’s Tale exhibits an uneasy tension between the filmmakers’ desire to represent the disjointed, subjective process by which history is created, and to produce a powerfully appealing, seemingly authentic visual reconstruction of the past.

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The Cotton Gin’s Impact on Antebellum America

This examination of the antebellum America argues for a causal link between the invention of the cotton gin, the expansion of slavery and the outbreak of the American Civil War. Wynveen traces the history of Eli Whitney’s invention and illustrates how the new machine facilitated the growth and expansion of cotton production in the Southern States. According to her study of secondary and primary literature of the time a boost in cotton production, in turn led to a demographic shift in the slave population, as well as an increase in the total number of slaves. Building onto preexisting historiography concerning industrialization trends in the pre and post-war period, this paper focuses its argument onto the notion that cotton played a central role in creating two very distinct economic systems in the antebellum North and South; The North continued to move towards industrialization and free wage labour, while the south continued agriculture and slavery. Wynveen then demonstrates how this economic divergence contributed to growing differences in social, cultural and political values within these two regions—expressed in debates over slavery and other socio-economic issues—and ultimately led to the Civil War.

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President W.H. Bush, Masculinity, and America's Invasion of Panama City in 1989

Based on an examination of official and unofficial document, editorial cartoons, and various media sources, Mahoney argues that competing definitions of masculinity influenced George H.W. Bush’s foreign Policy in the invasion of Panama City in 1989, this article participates in a revisionist historiography that considers gender as a significant category of analysis to understand American international relations. The author shows that, at the outset of his presidency, Bush adopted a cautious approach to foreign policy, which emphasized cooperation and peace through diplomacy. But soon Bush’s legitimacy as President was called into question, notably by some elements of the media and a fringe of the public who associated political power with a forceful and aggressive ideal of masculinity. By invading Panama, Bush finally shed his image as a flimsy and meek politician and thus confirmed his legitimacy as President to jingoist elements of American society.

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Entering a Post-Bush/Post-Katrina Era?

According to most, The Bush era is over. The election of Obama has spelled the undeniable downfall of neo-conservativism as a legitimate ideological position, shattering its ready access to apparatuses of the U.S. government and economy. The systemic failure of de-regulated privatization, the defeat of key political strategists in the John McCain camp, the faltering of American military and economic power in the Middle East and the near collapse of a hegemonic, American-centric global economic system have all contributed to an almost palpable sense that these are changing times. But is this truly a post-Bush era? And if so, exactly what does that mean for Americans, the U.S. and, just as importantly, the world?

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