Chinese+Water+Torture+Cell,+Harry+Houdini

Home 1920's Topics __1920’s Project Assignment__ Chinese Water Torture Cell-Harry Houdini = = Researched by Sarah Heuerman


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__ Task One-DESCRIBE YOUR TOPIC -Due Tuesday, February 7__ **.** Harry Houdini, a Hungarian immigrant, earlier know as his real name, Erik Weisz, is a forever legacy in the art of magic. He entertained his generation with illusions and suicidal situations that stimulated minds. One of his famous tricks, Chinese Water Torture Cell, a trick with “ a glass fronted water filled cabinet, his audiences watched as he lowered Houdini, suspended upside-down by his ankles, into the watery cell and pulled a ghost house around it and within a minute or two, … he would escape and reappear” ( Houdini’s Props, Ethier). Houdini changed the image of magic to also include escapology and more untraditional ideas. His life threatening acts such as “escaping straight jackets and jail cells without keys”(Houdini: Master of Escape). AS the entertainment world thrived, so did Harry. He put away the traditional card tricks and “introduced a sense of survival, which the crowd knew little about” ( Great Escapes, Joan Higbee). The idea of Harry’s trick still excite people and consider him the best magician in all of history. Harry Houdini not only changes the magic world, but he represented the people of his time. Tn the 1920s, when Harry Houdini thrived as a illusionist, immigration and the wealth of the upper class grew. When Harry arrived to the united states “ he had nothing and became rich and famous” (Deconstructing Harry, Herman) but through his hard work got where he was. Harry became a hero for the poor immigrant working class and encouraged working hard to achieve goals. For example, Harry’s “Formal education was slight, but his self education was immense” (Higbee). He also was a source of entertainment for many of the wealthy upper class who spent their money on leisurely activities. He made the rich “ awe mystification, terror, relief, rejoicing all within a matter of minutes“ (The Great Magicians and their Trickery, Cooley). Other than an illusionist Harry Houdini embodies the scene of the 1920 with the rich, immigrants and movement of change.

__Task Two-EVALUATE YOUR TOPICS INFLUENCE-Due Friday, February 10__ Please write two extended power paragraphs which each cite a minimum of three credible sources. Discuss the scope of influence of your topic on the 1920s. How extensive was the influence? Which part of society was influenced? Did the change endure or stimulate additional changes? What is the topic's legacy? What impact did the topic have in the Twenty-First century.

Houdini had a slight significance on most lives of people in the 1920s. The influence greatly impacted the American immigrant class, leisure for wealthy and the newly uprising magic industry. When Houdini arrived to the united States as a immigrant he had nothing, but arose from that and became "The American Dream for immigrants"(Deconstructing Harry). His past experiences and lives related to them while his new famous and wealthy life was seen as a dream, which inspired immigrants and made him their hero. In the world of the upper class, the 1920s was a time of wealth to spend on entertainment such as Houdini. His audience " is interested in witnessing events have no relation to common experience and are engendered by a being who possesses a power far beyond their own."(Nevil Maskelyne). Houdini was a new exciting way to spend money since it was a one of a kind experience of that generation. In the magic industry though, Houdini was seen as a Hero as well as a villain. He spent much of his time attacking "Spiritalist who were telling lies on the very nature of life or death, and the gullible audience took those lies to heart which tended to obscure the reality they lived in" (Houdini Unbound, Klinkenburg) and exposing magicians secrets while creating a whole new world of tricks and acts. Durring his genration, he was connected to many lives in different ways. Houdini had in different forms has effected and made no difference in our society today. With his development in magic and unmatchable acts he will be a legacy but this legacy does not make an extraordinary difference in our generation. The only impact he left is on things such as Harry Potter(Houdini Unbound). Our generation today has been able to enjoy some of our leisures because of Houdini's development of magic. Houdini also drew in an audience from his generation becoming the legacy he is today. Never in history after and before Houdini as been able to "fully sell out Las Vegas like him"(Houdini's Props). Houdini is also a figure of magic because of his new skills and tricks that have never been matched. He had an "Unparrelel career" and " There is no one quite like Houidni today"(Deconstructing Harry. Anyway Houdinis once in a life time skill has not effected our lives today, he will always be a legacy in magic.

Task ThreeJUDGE THE IMPACT OF THE INDIVIDUAL & ASSOCIATION---Due Feb. 15 Now that you have a basic understanding of your topic, and you know the scope of its influence, explain the forces that produced or created the topic. Additionally, what were the driving forces behind the society's reaction to your topic? Use the criteria described in the the Great Man Continuum to determine your topics long-run influence on society. Place your topic on the continuum and justify the reasons for your placement. Please confine your analysis to two extended power paragraphs with each citing a minimum of three credible sources. POST PARAGRAPHS HERE Using the Great man theory, I believe Harry Houdini falls between Event making and Eventful hero. Harry became a legacy through society’s wants. “The nation’s total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929”(Roaring Twenties, History.com) and people decided to spend their money on leisurely activities. The social path was already in a direction favoring new unique entertainment. Anyway he did follow the path he exceeded peoples expectation and any other magicians talents or tricks with his “untraditional and new tricks“(Harry Houdini, New York Times) such as the Water Torture Cell and his handcuff escapes. If it were not for the growth of entertainment, Houdini would have little success to lead up to his legacy today. “There is no one quite like Houdini today”(Deconstructing Harry). With the growth of wealth and leisurely activity, Houdini was discovered and adored giving him his forever legacy. I also places Houdini between Eventful an Event making hero because of his lack of impact, natural talent. He has made no influence on our lives or society, and was not born a hero. As I said earlier, in our life his only leftover success would inspire Harry Potter. Houdini brought attention to magic and the unknown, but if he had never done it there would be significant change in our society. Even during the 1920s his had a lack of impact on lives then. He did stand for the “American Dream” but eh was mostly just a way for entertainment “to build dup a tension in the audience then end with a joyous relief” (Houdini’s Props). Even in his time, Houdini was nothing more than a show for people to view his unusual tricks. These tricks were not from sheer talent as great men would, “Houdini had incredible strength and agility in result of his constant exercise” (Houdini Props) and had a prepared scene with “relentless rehearsal with an unimaginable commitment of time”. A true Great Man would have natural talent, impacted our society then and today and create a new path away from society.

POST WORKS CITED HERE "Houdini, Harry." //The New York Public Library Book of Popular Americana//. 1st ed. 1994. //eLibrary//. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. Cooley, Danika. "HEY! How'd They Do That?." //Odyssey//. 01 Oct. 2010: 18. //eLibrary//. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. "Houdini, Harry." //Compton's by Britannica, v 6.0//. 2009. //eLibrary//. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. Herman, David. "Deconstructing Harry." //New Statesman//. 13 Dec. 2010: 40. //eLibrary//. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. "Houdini, Harry." //The New York Public Library Book of Popular Americana//. 1st ed. 1994. //eLibrary//. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. Ethier, Eric. "Time capsule: Objects in history." //American History (Leesburg, VA)// Aug 1999: 44. //History Study Center//. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. History.com. "THe Birth of Mass Culture." //The Roaring Twenties//: n. pag. //ABI/// //INFORM Archive//. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. . Klinkenborg, Verlyn. "HOUDINI Unbound." //American History (Leesburg, VA)// Feb 2011: 40-45. //History Study Center//. Web. 6 Feb. 2012

Rubric for all three tasks: <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">Outstanding paragraphs include the following elements: <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Accurate power paragraph format with each paragraph citing evidence from three different sources. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Correct research components such as credibility statement, internal citations, <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px;">Works Cited entries <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Thoughtful and thorough response to the each prompt <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ A variety of sentences with interesting, clear diction <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Photos exemplifying the influence of the individual and association or movement <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Place your topic on the Great Man Continuum;  <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;"> ✓ Complete the criteria table to justify the reasons for your placement. .