To me, the most interesting aspect of reading about the bohemian era in American Moderns by Christine Stansell was the diverse group of people that made up the bohemian group in Greenwich Village. Wealthy progressive thinkers and lower class anarchists were united in common beliefs for greater equality: The upper and middle class bohemians were drawn to this lifestyle by a belief that it would greater open their minds to new experiences, and therefore expose them to innovative artistic ideas. That the upper class expressed discontent and would sometimes consciously choose a less comfortable life for themselves reminded me of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence which was written during this era about the 1890s. In the novel, Newland Archer–a young, moneyed New Yorker–expresses discontent with May Weland, his fiance, because she is unwilling to step out of the confines of societal expectations. Conversely, he is attracted to the mysterious Countess because of her disdain for society. It is in this same way, I believe, that upper class people joined the progressives and anarchists and began to transform Greenwich Village into the happening spot we know today.

The most striking aspect of “American Moderns” is how radical movements that originated in this era are portrayed in a more positive light. Previous history courses display political movements like the anarchists as a small group that was suppressed. Stansell treats them as free spirited thinkers who caused progress, showing both the successes and failures of people like Emma Goldman.

Another part that stood out to me was how Village life reformed the way people talk and interact. I always took for granted that we have free speech in America given that it is a constitutional right but the distinctive culture portrayed in “American Moderns” takes those rights and test them. People from all walks of life found a public outlet for their ideas and were able to entertain thoughts that weren’t accepted by mainstream thinkers. It is fascinating to see how New York City came into the spotlight as a center for free thinking and culture, its also disappointing how the whole movement soon disappeared, or was replaced. By the end radicalism spread past the village and was largely watered down and accepted.

This novel by Christine Stansell depicted a world that drastically evolved over time. The author discussed how many groups of people fought through what was perceived as an abnormality back then to get to the society that we live in today. In the 1890s immigrants came to New York for many various reasons. They wanted an opportunity to live a different lifestyle, they were curious and wanted to matter.

One group of people that emerged around 1895 were homosexuals. These people weren’t thought to be manly or normal. The fact that a man enjoyed art as opposed to politics was unfamiliar and unfamiliar to society. Men were known to be strong and masculine. Homosexuals were not viewed in such a way. However; with time society became more accepting and today a majority of homosexuals live in Greenwich Village which was and still is associated with its sociable environment. Along with homosexuals Russians, Jews,  African Americans and Women left their mark in society. One way in which people were able to have a say in the world was through politics. This was one of the main reason that Russians migrated during the Russian Revolution. In this way, New York was an escape for them. In addition, woman such as Emma Goldman was brave enough to speak and write about crucial social issues. One of these issues was the limit/ban open speechifying law which limited people to speak openly about government and politics. Through the efforts Goldman’s hard work she was able to nationally address this issue along with many other issues as well.

Each immigrant saw New York as a chance to mean something in the world. Bohemia turned “outsiders into insiders.” In this way, Bohemia provided each individual with hope and inspiration. While reading about all of the significant movements and changes that made society evolve into the melting pot that it is today, I was able to make connections to All Nations Under Heaven the previous book we read. Both literary works described how people were inspired by New York City and devoted their life to what they believed in ultimately succeeding in shifting the way people think and act.

Christine Stansell’s “American Moderns” was, in my belief, a brilliantly written piece of New York City History. She was able to make this brief, yet influential part of New York City History very entertaining, and informational. By following a limited number of influential artists, writers, poets, etc, Stansel allows the reader to get in touch with these people and feel for them, almost as if she is writing a novel. Reading “American Moderns”, I couldn’t help but think of some of the many similarities of the two eras in New York, and how people prior to the 21st century weren’t all that different from modern day New Yorkers. In fact, the Bohemians were pioneers, creating a modern city in a time where people still held on to Victorian Era mannerisms and traditions. Their short time in “The Village” made a significant impact on shaping the City.

After reading Christine Stansell’s “ American Moderns”, I now have a much better understanding of what made “The Village” what it is today. Previously, I had always viewed the start of Bohemian society in New York City as a group of people with radical ideas about sexual orientation, “free love,” anarchism, and many other things that pushed society’s limits. Although this idea was confirmed in Stansell’s work, it also showed that there was more to its beginnings than I had realized. From the beginning Stansell points out that one of the leaders in the early stages of the Bohemian society was Lincoln Steffens, the famous muckraker. Stansell goes on to explain how one of the major early objectives of the Bohemian society was to bring out and improve the rough edges of the cities. One area that was of extreme focus was the Lower East Side, known for being the ghetto of Jewish immigrants in New York City.

This is just the start of the influence that Jews would have on Bohemian society and Greenwich Village. As a Jew myself, (and one that has read a decent, though not extensive amount on Jewish History from the 20^th century on) this was quite a shock to me. I had known that many of the Jews that had come over from Eastern Europe and especially Russia towards the end of the 19^th century were socialists or anarchists. However, I did not comprehend how this would affect the tide of radicals blossoming in N.Y.C. at the time. As Stansell points out, many of these early Bohemian writers and thinkers would spend a lot of time in the Yiddish speaking restaurants and coffeehouses throughout the Lower East Side. Many of these Yiddish speaking Europeans had spent copious amounts of time in their home countries developing their ideas on socialism or anarchism. This made these shops the “go-to” place to hear more about these ideologies in early 20^th century America. The Jewish contribution didn’t stop there. As the Ferrer Center came onto the scene, there was now a way for immigrants to be welcomed and recognized in Bohemian society. The most prominent of these immigrant groups were the Jews. Nonetheless, possibly the greatest Jewish contribution to this culture was Emma Goldman. Taking up a whole chapter in Stansell’s book and appearing in many other places throughout the book, Goldman’s contributions are almost immeasurable. From being “ The face of Bohemian Greenwich Village” to the face of the “New Woman,” Goldman was at the forefront of this movement. Although she didn’t identify with the classical Jewish beliefs, she always stuck to her roots as being a secular, Americanized Jew. This alone was enough to break certain barriers of anti-Semitism that had held Jews out of the Bohemian society, until that time. This seemingly small point, really changed my understanding of the times, as it gave a new face to this movement that I had never seen before.

The most striking part in “American Moderns” was, to me, the drastic rise in public admittance of sexuality as bohemia and new ideas arose. Obviously, sexuality has been around since the first multi-cell organism came to existence, but the openness about human sexuality was previously unheard-of. However, the bohemian lifestyle advocated the breaking of these social norms in favor of radical new thoughts, some people even going so far as to promote, “nudism, vegetarianism, and the simple life.” These ideas were so out of the realm of normal society that bohemia became the center for all sorts of progressive ideas.

Possibly tied to the rise in feminism and embracing the differences between females and males, talking about sex became acceptable in these social circles. Perhaps the most drastic example of this was the account by the progressive Emma Goldman of her sexual relationship with a man named Ben Reitman. The letters she composed were of a brazen nature and nigh-unacceptable, as it was rare to read “sexually explicit language outside pornography in the early twentieth century.” This newfound openness surrounding subjects of a more sexual nature contributed heavily to the broader definitions of what was acceptable to speak of in those times. The freedom to speak of such things aided the broader freedom to speak and the greater amount of what was “permissible” in society.

Walking around Greenwich Village today, it seems to be a very different place from what it was in the early 20th century. Today there are expensive condos and walk-ups, “hip” coffee shops where everyone has a latte and a macbook, bookstores, restaurants with hard-to-pronounce names, and boutiques with clothing that most of us wouldn’t dream of spending so much money on. Though it appears to be a center of culture and commerce, it does not have the bustle and diversity of minds and people that it seemed to have in the teens. Christine Stansell’s book expresses an amazing array of small biographies of people who were right in the middle of bohemian New York City.

One bio that I found particularly compelling was that of Emma Goldman, a Jewish “new woman” who emigrated from her oppressive home in Russia. She hated the conservative expectations of women and their roles in society as well as personal roles in marriage. I am so inspired by her will to resist societal norms and hold such extreme, anarchist views that frightened those around her. It may be hard to imagine what such oppression could feel like, but at this time, women were not expected to do anything beyond what they were taught. She came to New York City to find greater opportunities, but for more than just money–she wanted political freedom as a woman. She was able to immediately find other women and likeminded people to discuss (at the time) radical ideas. I’m actually amazed that I had never heard of her before. She was such a persistent, intelligent woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. She was a forerunner of feminism, and I wish I could go back in time and discuss feminism and politics over a cup of coffee with her. Even her photograph makes her look like the most intimidating and amazingly intelligent woman you could ever meet.

This book got me thinking a lot about what New York City is today in contrast with what it was 100 years ago. People came to the city with ideas, with ambition, and with high hopes for a future rich with culture and intellectual stimulation. And at the time, all of this was readily available for those who strived for it. In a way, New York is still this way–people come here with hopes of making it as artists, musicians, writers, etc. But with such high costs of living, it seems to be much more difficult to thrive as an intellectual or an artist today. While the city may still be considered a center of culture, diversity, and art, I think it is quite clear that living a “bohemian” lifestyle is not as accessible as it was 100 years ago.

“American Moderns” by Christine Stansell offers an enthralling retelling of the culture of New York in the early 20th century. She includes brief, yet key, autobiographies to demonstrate some of the significant personalities of the time. These provide insight into the mind-set of Bohemian ideals, most of which were intertwined with the politics of the time. During this time period many new political parties and ideas surfaced. These were a result of the extensive social platform that was encouraged and made available to the distinctive communities of early 1900’s New York City. These ideas expanded on previous ideas and brought to life new ideas, most of which had some background influence from overseas, but others were formed completely from new-minded individuals, results of the bohemian era. One of the newer ideas was feminism, which was often linked to suffrage. During this time, women had shown extreme success in slowly integrating themselves as somewhat equivalent to males; they had gained more rights as married women, worked in professions that were previously strictly male, yet still maintained the household and child rearing. This time period brought about the beginning of many new ideas and culture, and I attribute this change to the diversity displayed throughout NYC that was a result of the increased immigration that had occurred in the late 19th century.

Throughout the text you are able to see the progress that women made and the changes that took place in how they were viewed by society. Women and men in earlier years were placed into separate spheres of influence. The men were supposed to be the breadwinners and the head of the house. While the women were suppose to be mothers and care givers that stayed home and looked pretty. For some time it seem that the women were “okay” with the roles they played as it had been that way for generations. However, as time passed the idea of a new woman developed. Support for women rights grew and women began to take on different roles. Women had jobs, in place garments factories but they were not allowed the same privileges as the men. In Stansell, “American Moderns” the New Woman become more involved in areas like the arts and politics. They were allowed to enter the saloons and interact freely to an extent with the men. They drank beers and spoke on similar issues but there was always that idea of there being a limit to what a women could say and do, as there were still certain ideas of what a “woman” should be, engraved in society.

The idea of the New Woman challenged the older ideas of woman because she was now holding positions in areas that were once dominated by men. By coming into this new role “she” also challenged the idea of men. “Contemporaries saw a general failure of nerve among young men”[Stansell page31].Fast-forwarding a couple chapters and years later, this idea of the new women branches off into feminism. In the section Sexual Modernism, Stansell discusses this feminist idea that’s focused completely equaling the playing fields between men and women. It was no longer just about allowing women to be educated and beautifying their roles as wives and caregivers. It was a type of freedom and independence that redefine the term woman.