Wonder and Awe
The World's Colombian Exposition
By Adam Kanyock
Introduction
When Europeans first set foot in America, they saw before them a vast land filled with mystery and wonder. It contained opportunity and promise, but it also contained power and danger. Throughout the history of America, we have always loved the sense of awe that accompanies such sights as the untouched wilderness or the World’s Columbian Exposition. This is one of the driving forces that has moved America forward from one frontier to the next, continuing to make discoveries, each more incredible than the last.
Thesis
People are forever seeking the sense of exploration and wonder that goes with something awe-inspiring such as the discovery of a new, untamed land, and people will go to great lengths to recreate such a feeling, even if it is only for a fleeting time, such as the World’s Columbian Exposition.
The Great Gatsby
Discovery in Gatsby
The World's Colombian Exposition
Conclusion
Works Cited
"The Ferris wheel. On the Midway Plaisance of the Worlds Columbian Exposition, 1893." American History Through Literature 1870-1920. Ed. Tom Quirk and Gary Scharnhorst. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.
Harlow, Alvin F. "Ferris Wheel." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 355. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.
"View of the Great Columbian Exposition at Chicago." Westward Expansion. Woodbridge, CT: Primary Source Media, 2010. American Journey. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.
World's Columbian Exposition Opens, May, 1893-October, 1893." DISCovering U.S. History. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.
"World' Fair (1878-1899)." American Eras. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.