Coming of Age as a Writer

Florence Nightingale was a very powerful woman who was a nurse and a writer. This is one of her many books she wrote. She wrote over 200 books, pamphlets and articles and over 1400 letters. She wrote about her experiences, what she wanted to change, life as a nurse, and her thoughts. She was similar to Briony in Atonement as Briony wrote about her secrets, thoughts, and short stories while growing up and becoming a nurse.  

“She was one of those children possessed by desire to have the world just so. Whereas her sisters room was a stew of unclosed books unfolded, unmade bed…” Briony, like Florence, was a quiet, neat, observant and organized person unlike both of their older sisters. This way of thinking caused her imagination to be the strongest part of her personality. This helped her come of age as a writer. 

This is of the HMS Belfast, a ship used in WWII. The men on this ship had many hardships and struggles as Robbie would have had when he was volunteering in the Army. “The corporals depended on Turner’s French.” Even though he was a volunteer, he was an educated man, which ended up making him an obvious help to others during the war. Through his experiences in war and prison, he was always writing to Cecilla. His educational experiences would help him not only help him in war but war would also help with his education by experiencing something new. 

At the British Library in the Propaganda exhibition, different ways of propaganda that have been used over time are displayed. Propaganda is used to fight wars and combat disease, build unity and create division. Using propaganda as a writer can help your point come across in a stronger way. Such as our well-known American Uncle Sam poster is a classic example of recruiting men to war. 

Monuments are of the oldest forms of propaganda. People are able to instantly recognize them as a way to remember events, people, and nations. Coming to age as a writer is about learning how to put your thoughts down in a strong and remembered way, just as this well known monument, The Eiffel Tower.

Coming of Age as a Believer

This is Christ Church at Oxford where Charles went in Brideshead Revisited.  This picture shows how influenced the school was with the church. There is a large amount of money and prestige put into this church. In this large, eccentric, and colorful stain glass window displays the amount of money that is put into the church at Oxford.   

Charles was an agnostic and had a hard time with Catholicism. This was a struggle for him going to Christ Church where you are expected to act a certain way. He states, “Oh dear, it’s very difficult being a Catholic.” Being a Catholic meant you had to follow their rules, such as not getting a divorce. 

This is pictures on a wall of the Castle of Gripsholm , the Swedish Palace, and Stockholm Town Hall at the Eltham Palace. It shows that the people who lived there, Stephan and Ginie, loved to travel. Having these images in their home showed their guests the types of places they had seen and what had inspired their taste. These places thought them who they were and what the thought about life. Charles felt the same way after meeting Sebastian. Sebastian taught him who he truly was. 

The Brock Era represented the change with Protestant. As the religions changed so did the architecture and style of the buildings. You can see in this picture at the Hampton Court Palace, how different it looks in comparison to the architecture before. This change and skepticism in religion is the same things that Charles was going through when he was not sure exactly what it meant to be a Catholic.  

This picture at the ceiling at the Hampton Court Palace shows James the II who is a Catholic being defeated by William who is a Protestant. The weapons in the pictures below show the struggles of war. This is change in religion was them coming of age as a believer and changing things even though they had been the same for a long time. 

Coming of Age as a Traveler

This view is the view I saw as a traveler. Looking at this picture different thing stick out compared to who is looking at it. As a traveler someone also might notice a certain scene or place more then another. Lucy saw her own views as a traveler and was able to learn the types of things that she noticed. 

This picture by JMW Turner at the Tate called shows the perfect picturesque view someone might imagine before traveling to a location. This was Turners painting of his first View in Venice. Lucy had a similar “room with a view” in Italy before she was able to experience things as a traveler herself. 

This painting of JMW Turners called Riva degli Schiavone, Venice: Water Fete was a painting he made after the previous one. Even though this picture was unfinished the way that Turner saw Venice was different to how he saw it before. His style changed and his view was different just like Lucy’s later view on Italy compared to her first.   

"An Old Man Holding a Pilgrim-Bottle" in the National Museum shows a traveler looking at the world he has explored. The wisdom he has learned through time compares to Lucy’s change as a traveler. Comparing the beginning and end of her journey, readers are able to see the wisdom she in fact gains as a traveler.  

John Soane was a man who traveled around the world on a Grand Tour. He learned a lot about himself through the places and cultures he experienced. At this Museum, it shows a collection of his items that he gathered as a traveler. Though some of his items are different then the traditional traveler souvenirs, they are all things that reflect something that he appreciate and learned coming of age as a traveler.  

Piero di Cosmo is a painting at the National Museum that shows a fight at a wedding. The painting shows a lot of passion and also sexuality. Even though this painting was a painting that would have been hung in a bedroom, the people’s violent passion can be compared to the violent passion Lucy witnessed in Italy. 

Coming of Age As a Worker

This is a woman of the 19^th century that has little wealth and is trying to sell things to make ends meat. She is lonely and looked down upon with no husband to take care of her. 

The Founding Museum is a place that helps orphans get opportunities they would not have otherwise. It helps them get a job and hope of a successful future. 

This is the room of a governess. She would was expected to take care of the children with little pay and no independence or hope for a good future. 

This is a small kitchen a governess would have to herself that was attached to her room.  Living with very little was very typical for these women. 

This woman mourning over the loss of possibly a husband. Without a husband to care for a women, they are left with basically nothing. Women could only get paid for very low wage jobs with little security for the future