Michael Shanks - site 2006: Denis Griffin

Dunstanburgh 2006 Project pages authored

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E-mail: djgriff@stanford.edu

Hi all. I'm a sophomore from St. Louis, Mo. only a Classics major for now, but I plan on declaring something else soon (probably English with the Creative Writing emphasis).

I live in FroSoCo way out in West Campus, which, contrary to Stanford myth, actually does exist.

I'm somewhat of a sports nut, and I follow the 49ers, SF Giants, and St. Louis Blues with a passion, along with all the Stanford teams. My interest in sports led me to start writing for the Stanford Daily this year, and I'm currently covering the wrestling team and writing a weekly column.

I also enjoy creative writing and tend to read a lot of fiction.

Some favorite books:

Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire

C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters

Homer's Iliad

J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Dante's Divine Comedy

Beowulf

Some favorite movies/television shows:

Saving Private Ryan

The Shawshank Redemption

Anchorman

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Lost

The Sopranos

Band of Brothers

Brainstorming Place:

Place is more than what it necessarily appears to be. Sometimes, the history of a location can play as great a role in the emotions and thoughts tied to a place as the way we see it. For instance:

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This artists rendition of an aerial countryside would seem insignificant without the benefit of historical perspective. There's nothing particularly unusual about the scenery depicted, and it could reasonably be nearly any countryside in temperate climates. But the knowledge of history changes something about this place.

Does knowing that this is a depiction of the Gettysburg, Pa. battleground of the American Civil War change this image's significance? Of course it does. Suddenly the place shown takes on all sorts of romantic and highly charged ideals. To some interpretations, this becomes the site of the most crucial turn of events in American history. The words of Abraham Lincoln ring true here in our study of place and history's impact upon it:

"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." --Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 19, 1863

The epic words of Lincoln have become so intertwined with Gettysburg that they have essentially become a part of its central identity as a place. As such, the fields and hills presented here become symbolic of freedom, liberty, sacrifice, and fate. And the great, titanic struggle that took place there is remembered for its historical significance.

It is more than mere geography and physical structures that make up our perception of place. It is the significance of what happened there and why. Sometimes, this perception can go beyond historical accuracy.

For instance, Gettysburg has often been portrayed as the great turning point of the Civil War, but while it undoubtedly was the single most important battle, many historians have questioned its overall importance. Some would argue that, from the beginning, the South never had a chance in the conflict, and that the great advantages of population, industry, and other resources were so overwhelmingly possessed by the North, that the outcome of the war was all but assured before it even began.

But regardless of that particular historical viewpoint, the romantic image of Gettysburg has already been set, and cannot be reversed.

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Dunstanburgh Project Initial Presentation

For my segment of the project I'll be expounding upon and interweaving aspects of...

The history of Dunstanburgh as it relates to the War of the Roses, a pivotal point in English, and even world, history.

--Dunstanburgh's role in the war: As the Lancaster's castle during this period, Dunstanburgh becomes more than a place, it is representative of a faction and therefore of a time.

--Dunstanburgh's symbolic meaning as a result of the war: I'll look at the history of War of the Roses in order to show what exactly Dunstanburgh reflects. For instance, in that the war of the Roses served, in the long run, to largely weaken the nobility of England and lead to a more central system of government focused on the King, I can argue that Dunstanburgh represents the height of feudalism, chivalry, and the power of nobility in England.

I can then use this as a jumping off point to...

Why the Medieval fascinates us today.

--In particular, I'll look closely at fantasy literature set in the medieval context (i.e. worlds with castles, towers, walls, etc.). What can we learn about the symbolism and emotions attached to various aspects of the medieval by examining these works?

--George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" will be especially useful for this, in that Martin admits to drawing on the War of the Roses for a great deal of his inspiration. Tolkien will most likely also prove useful as a more common example.

Obviously, these topics will intersect somewhat with the explorations of feudalism and the military structures of the medieval world. But it is my hope to build on these themes rather than repeat them, emphasizing what we can glean from them for the significance of Dunstanburgh.

Obviously, I'll attempt to stick with our theme of the [Visitor] for these ideas. Ultimately, the narrative aspect of our project will probably be most useful to me as a general connecting link between various facts and themes I'll attempt to point out about the Dunstanburgh site.