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I love learning about World War II history and I have watched many documentaries and movies about its events, as well as reading about what led to it occurring. I find it intriguing that Stalin lived in Germany while writing about Marxism and developing while under the guidance of Lenin. Also, the fact that he may have met Adolf Hitler while walking in the park is very fascinating- two people who shaped much of the world's history (on opposite sides) probably crossed paths prior to when they became infamous. Vienna proved to be the central location to both of their developments as influential political figures.

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This painting, Nighthawks is an American painting from 1942 which may seem irrelevant, but I think it captures some of the essence of the city when Kirchner was out painting. It depicts a few people eating at a diner, late at night. Illies describes Kirchner painting in an area bustling with nightlife, and although Nighthawks doesn't depict a bustling scene, it still shows nightlife in a city, and the facial expressions of the people also give the viewer an idea of what they could be thinking. Are they tired after a long day, excited to see each other, or just out because they have nothing else to do?

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"Can you read the world? That's what Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque wonder, and keep coming up with new codes that viewers are supposed to decipher." This notion connects to paintings like those of Jackson Pollock- which are abstract in nature but definitely have meaning and purpose behind them. Picasso's movements of Cubism and Synthetic Cubism expressed a new idea about art, an idea about playing around with it and experimenting with different techniques. Pollock's paintings show the same idea, one of newfound creativity and the viewer's interpretation.

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The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower. In one entry in February, Illies talks about Paris being the center of the Modernist movement in Europe, as he says "Paris was still in a league of its own that year." Paris was a symbol of excellence in art with so many great artists, and the Arc de Triomphe is a symbol of Paris's height, even though it wasn't built at this time. It is a great piece of architecture, positioned at the crossing of many roads which shows its centrality, but also symbolizing the many avenues through which it had achieved its greatness, and namesake triumph in relation to the other big cities in the world. I haven't been to Paris, but when I do, I will definitely visit the Arc de Triomphe and see it in all it's glory.

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I love photography and I enjoy capturing the beauty I find around myself, especially in nature. The night sky is something I have long wanted to capture well, but the area I am from is highly populated, and therefore very highly polluted by light, which makes the beauty of the night sky mostly invisible. I'm from the state Connecticut, but the part that is close to New York City, and light fills the sky even at night, not allowing many stars to be seen. Illies talks about Berlin being too bright, and the New Berlin Observatory being demolished and moved outside the city. While it is good that they preserved the observatory at a different location, the demolishing alludes to the rate of industrialization which firstly contributes to the observatory being ineffective, but also serves as a way to show that people's priorities are changing: they care about modernity, ease of life, and the improvements in society, more than the beauty of nature around them.

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Illies's entry about the work of Dr. Gottfriend Benn reminded me of the Paris catacombs, or other similar catacombs located under Europe. The catacombs have a morbid history: thousands of people killed, forgotten, and skulls used to build tunnels, all hidden underground. Although Dr. Benn's work is for medical research purposes, it still provides the same feeling: anonymous people, forgotten, being used for a different purpose. The underground aspect of it also adds an element of separation from the "normal" above ground world that isn't so starkly dark.

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In class, we learned about New Objectivity as an art movement. It was interesting to learn about this in class, as we were given context as to how drastically art changed within a time period of a few years. Other paintings of Dix's and other artists follow the same style, with very dull colors and not being very vibrant or full of energy. The book includes this quote from Max Beckmann, another painter: "How sad and unpleasant always having to spend time with oneself. Sometimes one would be glad to be free of oneself." This quote exhibits the emotions that many people probably felt during that time, especially with the onset of political violence and war. It may have seemed like all hope was lost, and this feeling was reflected in the paintings of various artists during the New Objectivity movement. The picture above is from an another art movement around a similar time called Dada, but it has a very different impression. Dada was anti-art, anti-establishment, and radical, and its qualities are very different from those of New Objectivity. Dada started in Zurich but spread to many places including America, and it is interesting to see the contrast between two art styles in similar areas in a similar time period.

https://www.theartstory.org/movement/dada/

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Two of the entries in "1913: The Year Before the Storm" mention people wanting to go to Africa. The first one is Albert Schweitzer, a doctor of medicine graduate (a psychiatrist in particular), who travels to French Equatorial Africa following his graduation and founds a jungle hospital. The next entry talks about Ernst Junger, a student who is dreaming about going to Africa. It says, "Africa represents the epitome of all that is savage and primitive." The motivation for these two individuals to go to or want to go to Africa can be questioned, as it is a very distant and different land that these people had only heard tales about. It can possibly tie in to the "Scramble for Africa," a term coined for the rapid colonialization of Africa, which is said to have ended around 1914, when about 90% of Africa was under European control. Given this significant amount of control, maybe Europeans such as Schweitzer and Junger wanted to explore the new lands their countries had obtained, like the explorers that went there decades and centuries earlier. However, I am interested as to why Schweitzer chose French Equatorial Africa in particular. The German colonies in Africa included the present-day countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Namibia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon, Central African Republic, Togo, and Ghana. It is also interesting that following World War I (5 years from 1913), Germany would have lost all of these territories after losing the war.

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I was intrigued by the routine that Thomas Mann follows daily. In an entry under April, it mentions that he wakes up at 8 am every day, and usually not before or later. He has his set routine every morning to have breakfast with his wife, and then begin work at 9, where he goes into his room alone and drowns out all other distractions in order to complete his work. This seems like a great schedule to have, and it sounds like Mann is a very productive person. My schedule, although varying day by day, is the same week by week, and offers some consistency in terms of my timeline of doing things. Having the same schedule every day, like Mann, could get boring but would be beneficial in the sense that events happen at the same time everyday, the schedule is constant, and there are no changes. But, the thing I like most is that he has perfected his schedule to work how he wants it to. He is able to wake up at a good time, spend time with his wife, and then get to work, and this seems like a good work-life balance, something I want to improve.

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The tragedy of the Titanic is something that will never be forgotten. A massive cruise ship, it was supposed to be the best way to travel between Europe and America. It was revealed in all it's glory, and started a new chapter of history when it set sail. However, it met an unfortunate end in the North Atlantic after hitting a glacier. The book mentions the Fatherland, a new cruise ship built in the Hamburg shipyard Blohm & Voss. It is supposed to be the largest passenger ship in the world. This is continuing the glory of the capabilities of engineering and industrial production, building larger and larger vehicles that can transport as many people as possible. The Fatherland is a symbol of this continuing innovation and scientific and manufacturing improvement.

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Tennis is my favorite sport. I have been playing it for 10 years now, and it was and still is my favorite activity. I played all through high school, and was lucky enough to be the captain of the team my senior year. I am also an avid follower of professional tennis, watching all the grand slams (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open), but I also follow pro tennis year-round, as they have many other tournaments. There are various tiers of tournaments with some more valuable than others, and the tier right below the grand slams is called Masters 1000. One of these Masters 1000 tournaments is the Madrid Open. The book briefly mentions the results of the Madrid Open finals in 1913, with the Frenchman Max Decugis beating the Austrian Ludwig Salm in three sets. I find this to be a very interesting fact, especially with the way Illies ties it into the political history of the time, saying that "Austro-Hungary doesn't have a chance against the attack from the French." Also being interested in history, I love how Illies draws parallels between history and a result in tennis which is seemingly unrelated.

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Illies mentions the royal wedding of Pricess Victoria Louise of Prussia to Duke Ernst August of Hanover on May 24, 1913. He talks about some of the wedding's details and the media's thoughts about it including the fact that there was "an unequal coincidence of democracy and monarchy." Other rulers like Tsar Nicholas II and King George V also traveled to the wedding, and it was a "diplomatic event above all." This reminded me of the royal wedding between Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan), and the glamor that came with the wedding, but also the fact that they departed from many traditional aspects of weddings at the time, just like the wedding Illies describes. Harry and Meghan's wedding did maintain a lot of traditional elements, like the venue being St. George's Chap at Windsor Castle, the attire, the floral traditions, and the public protocols. However, some of the not-so-traditional elements included the day of the week, with it being held on a Saturday instead of a weekday, the omission of certain vows, and the inclusion of American elements like have American bishop Michael Curry give the sermon, and having gospel choir music. The modernity of the 1913 royal wedding drew some parallels to and reminded me of the English royal wedding of 2018.

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Illies briefly mentions Piero Ginori Conti's discovery of geothermal energy in 1913, saying he "manages to use water from the earth's core to produce electricity." In 1913, this probably seemed like an almost-magical feat. It was a scientific discovery that could revolutionize the production of electricity and in the present day, it is a great source of renewable energy. It is especially interesting because it seems like hidden potential: using heat that is from a source that we can't see (the earth's core) to make energy.

The concept of obtaining energy from non-obvious power sources is something I am working on for my class ME 2110. We are tasked with building a robot that needs to accomplish certain tasks, but we are limited by the number of energy sources available to us (ie. motors, electrically activated components, etc). In this sense, we are forced to use other energy sources like tension (in rubber bands or strings) or gravity to move some of our robot's parts. My team had our first official test run on Friday, October 3rd, and after many hours and some long nights we were happy with our results. Tying it back to energy from unobvious sources, one task required us to deposit objects into bins in a rotating tower. We used an electrically-activated actuator to do this, but used rubber bands to make sure then next item fell into place. We had to think outside the box to make use of energy, like Piero Ginori Conti did when he discovered geothermal energy.

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Nationalism is the main idea behind Bertolt Brecht's verse in his diary, which can be described as a poem. The verse talks about a solider in battle and says "You died in battle, as a loyal German man." This refers to the idea of national pride which is something that people from all countries exhibit. However, nationalism was known to be one of the large factors that contributed to the start of World War 1. It was known to create tensions between rival powers and drove desires for national unity and self-determination among various ethnic groups. All this tension led to even worse fighting, as it exaggerated the causes everyone was fighting for. This also reminded me of the nationalism seen in World War 2, especially with a country like Japan where soldiers were asked to give their lives in battle instead of being "dishonorable" to their country- known as "bushido," or the samurai code. This led to Japan being particularly threatening to the USA since they tended to go to greater lengths in war, like with their mindset of kamikaze. When people stop questioning and start worshipping their country, they risk losing the ability to see right from wrong, and this is what happened to many people from Germany during WW1 and Japan during WW2.

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Illies mentions the German Stadium, which was built for the 1916 Olympic Games, and that they were opened by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The only other thing he mentions is that it was completed three years ahead of schedule, and "Ah, the good old days." With this last line, Illies gives insight into what people think about the past and the fact that they tend to romanticize it. Although he was referring to the fact that construction projects may have been scheduled and managed way better in the past, it shows that people often have a better impression of the past. Illies referred to this time as "the good old days," but this doesn't take into account all the other events of the time, like the building tensions, looming war, and many other issues. This is similar to the notion of the Roaring Twenties in the US, where people were oblivious to the various issues that existed in society but tended to focus on the illusion of prosperity and stability, evident by the explosion of the use of credit cards. The many issues during this time was followed by the Great Depression, a time of extreme difficulty all over the world.

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In the month of May, Illies talks about Ernst Reuter's message to his parents where he says "I really dislike Berlin itself," and then Illies goes on to mention that Reuter ended up becoming the mayor of Berlin soon. Reuter talks about how the city is dirty and extremely busy, where people only care about time. This seems to be the effect of mass industrialization which is something that had brought Germany to where it was at the time. Germany was a powerhouse in manufacturing and production, but all of these negative effects came with the urbanization and increase in population. He also talks about time being money, saying that "...running as if a minute cost 10 Marks." I'm not entirely sure but this reminds me of a capitalist society where people only care about making money and profits. This wouldn't be surprising in a heavily industrialized and urbanized society, where an economic system with a capitalist nature would have accelerated progress. However, it could be this notion of capitalism causing problems in society that led to Germans adopting a more conservative stance and allowing themselves to be swayed by the likes of Adolf Hitler, who gained power in Germany in 1933 when he was appointed chancellor by President Paul von Hindenburg.

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Illies talks about Franz Marc and his many horse paintings, and then the fact that he was also riding horses. This was more interesting to me, but specifically the way in which he describes the horses and their majesty. He talks about "sheer respect for the animal's elegance." He doesn't touch the horse's flanks due to this aspect of respect. This reminds me of the movie How To Train Your Dragon, in which the villagers of Berk have been trapping and killing dragons for many years, but then the main character, Hiccup, realizes the true beauty of the dragons and learns to love them, and they love him back. In their Viking "coming-of-age ritual," the young boys are supposed to kill a dragon but Hiccup isn't able to, and instead he lays down his weapons and tries to treat it with kindness. This type of knowledge of creatures and treating them as equals was also present in Illies's description of how Franz Marc thinks about animals, especially horses. The reference to How To Train Your Dragon is especially fresh in my mind since for my class ME 2110, the theme this semester is How To Train Your Dragon. Our professor held a watch party for the movie, and I got to see this scene again.

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In July, Illies also mentions the new moving assembly line that Ford installed in their factory in Detroit. This was their first such assembly line and greatly increased their manufacturing capability (to 264,972). According to energy.gov, this reduced the time it took to build one car from over 12 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes. This shows the progress of manufacturing technologies and methods that allowed this great increase in production ability. Working in manufacturing is one area that I am looking to go into in the future. As a mechanical engineering major, I have some experience with manufacturing methods (mostly machining and 3d printing), but I am interested in learning about commercial processes. I am eager to get into the automotive industry (as I love cars), or the aerospace industry, and these both require advanced, precise, and efficient manufacturing methods to make good quality products quickly, and on a large scale. Ford has come a long way in their manufacturing methods since 1913, and I'm sure many other companies have too.

Source: https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/manufacturing-timeline

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I am from Connecticut, and my home town is around an hour away from New York City. Due to this, I have been to NYC countless times. It is a city I love, but I am also made to realize that it is a city that has a global, international impact, and sometimes I don't realize that where I am is an extremely important city for the world. I have driven near the United Nations Headquarters building, and it is humbling to see such a landmark that is a cornerstone for peace around the world. However, there are many other organizations around the world that promote peace and one of them is the International Court of Justice, based in the Hague. Illies mentions the Palace of Freedom that was inaugurated in the Hague in 1913, and he also mentions that preparations for a Hague peace conference began, in order to "resolve all unresolved issues between nations." This seems like a precursor to many of the current peace organizations, such as the UN and the ICJ, or past ones like the League of Nations, which was formed after WW1 but dissolved right after WW2. The International Criminal Court is another organization similar to the ICJ that is also based in the Hague. The specific timing of the Palace of Freedom being inaugurated and the new Hague peace conference being prepared for is very interesting to me given all of the rising tensions in Europe at the time and impending war that would be coming up. It could have also been that the founders of these organizations recognized that such tensions existed and maybe that is the reason why these organizations were being founded: as a response to the state of international relations in Europe at the time.

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Many European cities are known for their various museums which house artifacts from all over the world. These artifacts also range from multiple time periods, all the way from ancient times to recent history. One of the most famous museums of of this type is the British Museum in London. As India was a colony of Britain for almost 200 years, the British Museum showcases a large number of Indian artifacts, including many valuable ones like ancient pieces, valuable stones/gems, and many others. In the eyes of the British at the time, they were probably taking things that they thought they had the right to take, since the land was "theirs." However, being of Indian heritage, I have heard how Indians feel about this and they are very angry. They did not like being under British rule and they felt that the British were thieves who stole what wasn't theirs and are displaying it to the world as a symbol of their dominance and oppression of the Indian people. It brings anger that the British stole the riches that belonged to India and are claiming it as theirs. According to the India Times, the UK extracted items and money worth about $64.82 trillion (USD) between 1765 and 1900- not even the full length of their influence on the subcontinent. I was reminded of this by Illies writing about seeing the Egyptian artifacts brought back to a museum in Berlin. He talks about the heads of the ancient Egyptian figures Amenophis and Nefertiti being put on display and the fact that the whole city is in "Egypt fever." My thought is that Egyptians seeing this would have also felt similarly to how Indians felt when they saw their national treasures and riches being displayed in European countries that stole them.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/uk-extracted-64-82-trillion-from-india-during-colonial-rule-richest-10-got-most-of-the-cash/articleshow/117394631.cms?from=mdr

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The image above is a picture I took during my family's trip to Italy in 2023. This was taken on a train ride from Milan to Venice. Illies talks about Kafka's trip from Prague to Riva, a town on Lake Garda. Lake Garda is Italy's largest lake and it is located in the north of Italy. During this train ride of mine, we passed by Lake Garda and got to witness the beauty of the Italian north as well as the lake. Kafka also later travels to Venice, albeit by ship. My Italy trip was one of the best trips of my life and I really enjoyed the country. It was a great experience to learn about Italian culture, meet people, and enjoy their food. Seeing Lake Garda was one of my first time witnessing the natural beauty of Italy, as we had landed at Milan airport and immediately took the train to Venice. The history of Lake Garda is extremely fascinating as there have been many battles there in the past. For example, the Battle of Solferino in 1859 was followed by the Treaty of Villafranca which was supposed to end war, but it ended up starting a new one because the Italians weren't satisfied with the conditions of the Treaty. Following World War 2, there was a big tourism boom in the area which caused the expansion of the local hospitality industry. However, Kafka's visit to Lake Garda was not for a vacation. Instead, he was there to get treatment for his "neurasthenia." He also wanted to go with Felice, but he had not heard back from her father about asking for her hand in marriage. Kafka's emotional troubles could have maybe been helped by spending time in a peaceful and beautiful place such as Lake Garda, however he chose not to stay there and to continue to Trieste instead.

Source: https://www.lago-di-garda-tourism.com/en/history-of-lake-garda.html

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Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" was probably the first black and white movie I saw, and definitely the first silent movie that I watched. It was an eye into the past: my parents had told me it was a very good movie, and although it was totally different from what I was used to watching, I enjoyed it nevertheless. I first watched it a long time ago, but what I remember the most were the scenes of him working in a factory. It gave me insight into the past, specifically the working conditions of factory workers in the 1920s and 1930s. His views and opinions on such topics can be seen through his work in movies, and "his politics were non-ideological...politics of peace and understanding, help for the little man..." He wanted to look out for the common man, and showing adverse working conditions through a humorous lens like in "Modern Times" was a great way to bring awareness to these issues. Illies mentions that Charlie Chaplin signed his first movie contract in 1913, and he received $150 per week for the movie, which was called "Making a Living. " Since this was his first movie, he must have taken it without any further agenda/goal, however working in such movies may have influenced his political views and the roles he accepted in the future.

Source: https://www.bunkhistory.org/resources/the-war-on-charlie-chaplin

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The entry directly following the entry about Charlie Chaplin. Illies mentions Walter Rathenau's (the chairman of AEG) book On the Mechanics of the Mind, in which he "warns sharply of the dangers of technology and mechanisation to purity and the "Empire of the Soul." AEG (Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft) was a German company that manufactured many items, from turbines to electronics. One of their most famous facilities was the AEG Turbine Hall in Berlin, which was a building designed by architect Peter Behrens under the Deutscher Werkbund movement (my group went over this in class and I love to see the connections here!). AEG was a leading company in the industrialization of Germany (especially Berlin), and having the chairman say that technology is a danger to society was a very concerning statement. This is similar to what is happening in society nowadays, with the rise of AI and the dangers it brings. However, AI is arguably worse than machinery as it has implications regarding misinformation, cybersecurity, and it can also put certain resources in the wrong people's hands. Another difference is the fact that AI can be much more unreliable than machinery. Gary Marcus, an AI expert, says "In the long term, we have no idea how to make safe and reliable AI, and that just can’t be good." Whereas advanced in machinery and technology in 1913 were based purely on science and engineering, the rise of AI can be affected my a much broader group of people: anyone can build an AI with the necessary resources. And, AI has a bigger tendency and capability to shape outcomes in the world. One of the biggest concerns is elections and how they can be tampered with or disturbed through misinformation and other factors. Walter Rathenau, the chairman of AEG, dedicated his book to "the young race." Back then, the technological advancements were creating lasting impacts in society that the next generation would have to deal with and take responsibility for. While this is also the case with AI, the speed at which changes and events are occurring could mean that we may be too late if we leave the current young generation to take care of AI.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanwai/2024/10/09/the-12-greatest-dangers-of-ai/

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The image above is of the Hindenburg disaster in New Jersey in 1937. The Hindenburg was an hydrogen-filled airship that exploded due to a gas leak and a spark that combusted. After the Hindenburg accident, the demand for airships drastically reduced due to their many safety issues and overall danger compared to other forms of air transport. Airships also had a staggering death rate when it came to these accidents, and an even worse injury rate. Illies mentions the accidents of the German L1 and L2 military airships that also exploded, crashed, and caused the deaths of over thirty people. The L2 crash (more commonly known as the Johannisthal Disaster) happened on October 17th, which was one month after the L1 crash. Count Zeppelin, the person who these vehicles (also called Zeppelins) were named after, said "Who could be more stricken or grieve more deeply with the Navy than I?" Zeppelins were preferred as a method of air travel in the future because they could transport a large number of passengers, hence the Hindenburg being built, which was one of the largest Zeppelins. The Hindenburg disaster was considerable because so many people died, but also because the ship had completed a transatlantic voyage from Frankfurt to New Jersey and only exploded when attempting to dock at its destination. According to history.com, "Lighter-than-air passenger travel rapidly fell out of favor after the Hindenburg disaster, and no rigid airships survived World War II." The advancements in airplane technology also definitely played a part in this, and the sheer risk of flying in an airship was too big as the risk of combustion and explosion was too high. However, my thoughts go to asking the question of why these airships were not put out of use much earlier if the risks were seen by the L1 and L2 crashes, which exhibited the dangers. Knowing that hydrogen is flammable, I wonder how the builders of the Hindenburg even approved its flight given the risks.

Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-6/the-hindenburg-disaster

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The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (Amritsar Massacre) was one of the most deadly events in Indian colonial history. It involved a peaceful gathering of protesters in Amritsar, a town in Punjab, India, who were showing their dislike for the Rowlatt Act. The Rowlatt Act was a set of laws passed by the British colonial government in 1919 to stifle nationalist movements in India, and they allowed censorship on the press, the ability to arrest and detain individuals without trial, and more. Mahatma Gandhi's famous Satyagraha movement also stemmed in opposition to this movement. At Jallianwala Bagh, General Reginald Dyer opened fire on the crowd, killing approximately 379 people and injuring over 2,000. It proved to be a very pivotal and tragic event in Indian history, and it significantly shifted the public's opinion about British rule to a negative one. It also fueled more nationalist movements. In 1913, Illies talks about the Zabern Affair which was similar in the way that it was in summary a group of peaceful protesters who were fired upon. In both cases, the commanders didn't face any criminal punishments. These two events were not too far apart (only 6 years), and they show the state of the countries in terms of the power structure and the nature of politics in the world at the time. Both countries had very strong governments (India was under the British), and the control that the government had over the lives of people was extreme. However, there were also differences in the the British government in India was more oppressive as they wanted to maintain their power. In the years following World War I, Germany would go through a power shift to the Nazis, whereas India slowly worked towards its independence in 1947 (post WW2).

Source: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/british-soldiers-massacre-indians-amritsar

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Illies talks about the founding of the brand Prada, which is one of the world's most famous luxury brands today. Their first shop was located in the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II in Milan, which is a "gallery," which is like a mall with many stores. I was lucky enough to go to Italy in 2024 with my family and although we didn't stay in Milan for too long, I had seen pictures of the Galleria in Milan and had to go there to see its beauty. It didn't disappoint, and it provided a surreal experience when seeing all of the architecture, design, and history, combined with how a historical monument has been modernized with huge brands, restaurants, and accommodated for tourists. Reading about Prada's creation and their first store in Milan reminded me of this great memory, but it also made me think about the significance of Prada during a time like 1913. In my previous May and June padlet, I spoke about how industrialization was a curse, and I wonder if it gave rise and created a market for luxury brands like Prada. With mass produced goods being sold, the quality naturally decreased as items were being made by machines that can malfunction, and not skilled humans. Mass production also meant that prices could be driven down, even psychologically making the products seem cheaper as they were being sold for less money. Due to this, handmade, good-quality goods produced by brands like Prada would be highlighted as they represented true craftsmanship and original goods that could be appreciated for their true value: the people behind it. Reading into Prada's history enlightened me about this, showing me that the Prada family's design prowess and eye for quality drove this company to success.

Source: https://glamobserver.com/the-history-of-prada/

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One of my favorite book series is to Robert Langdon series by author Dan Brown. The third book in this series is called Inferno. The first two books in this series, called The Da Vinci Code, and Angels and Demons, are more well-known than Inferno, however reading the entry about the Mona Lisa being stolen and found in Florence reminded me of this book. What I like most about the Robert Langdon books is that they combine history and fiction into a very engaging and interesting thriller storyline. Additionally, the popularity of the books led to these stories being produced as movies, which are also very engaging and fun to watch thrillers. These movies are very factual when it comes to incorporating European history and being historically accurate. However, they combine this historical context with a modern storyline, where there is always a large plot that is thwarted by the fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon. In Inferno, Langdon is in Florence, the city where the Uffizi Gallery and many other historical landmarks are. The book follows the story through many points of interest in Florence including Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, the Duomo, and more. The vivid description of this book allows the reader to envision and somewhat "visit" Florence and the other settings that the story takes place in. Additionally, I was able to visit many of these places when I went to Italy and it was a good feeling to be able to acknowledge and recognize that I knew so much about these places (what they were like, and their history) before even visiting thanks to the book. I had the same experience when reading 1913, learning about how the Mona Lisa was found in Florence. Reading Inferno, as well as visiting Florence, gives me ample context and visualization to allow myself to really understand and connect with Illies's writing. Stories that allow the reader to enter the setting of the characters are especially powerful and relatable as they don't just transmit a story and plot, but create a whole experience for the reader that will never be forgotten, and the book as well as my own travels ties everything together into a complete experience that I am thankful for.

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Kafka's Failed Love: Connection to Today

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Kafka's Failed Love: Connection to Today

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Throughout the book, the reader is kept up to date with the love life of Franz Kafka, which is quite unfortunate and depressing as he is in love with Felice Bauer, who very clearly doesn't love him back. He sends her many letters, and she doesn't respond. In November, Kafka writes in his diary "Went to the cinema. Wept." On the surface, it is just the fact that Kafka is sad about his failed relationship, which had been weighing on his own health and personal well-being, seen by his travels around Europe and his neurasthenia. Communication methods like letters were additional obstacles to love as they took a long time to be delivered, and the sender would have no way to know if the receiver received the letter unless they were able to send one back in response. However, despite the differences between today and 1913 in terms of communication, the parallels drawn clearly highlight the one thing that has stayed constant and will continue to stay constant: human nature. Many people face the same issues today, with hope and insecurity when it comes to relationships and communication. Felice's behavior would be known as "ghosting" today, which is when one person is communicating and the other person disappears like a ghost and doesn't respond. Kafka's behavior relates to the worries of many people that causes them to be constant, obsessive, and overanalyze small actions, causing emotional fatigue. This is clearly what was hurting Kafka and caused him to suffer from neurasthenia, which is a mental condition that is caused by emotional disturbance. The same, not necessarily to the same degree, is present with online digital communication. However, the speed which communication has reached-instant-tends to increase the anxiety of people as it raises their bar for communication to constant and very rapid. Kafka's emotional isolation before World War I foreshadows the modern disconnection between people heightened by our increased technological connection, a paradox I find fascinating.