In-Class Write

1. The film Jackie shows the audience what an impact a single President could have. Kennedy was assassinated and his life was cut short at only the age of 46. There are many scenes within the movie that showcase the frustrations that people like Jackie and Robert (Bobby), John's younger brother,  had when they talked about how much more he could have done, given the time. I read an article from Vanity Fair that confirmed how her feelings were portrayed in the film. The article said that "At times, conversations with Jackie were like skating on a pond of think ice, with certain areas designed dangerous" (Leaming). The Kennedy's contributed a lot to the American people and the White House. They renovated it and we're passionate about the arts. I feel like the film does a good job of showing how they would bring the arts to the white house and how that contributed to making America more culturally open to new ideas and people.
I read an article by Manohla Dargis from the New York Times and she stated that the film "mostly avoids presidential politics and policies, grim scandals, sex parties, and popped pills". Dargis said that "Instead it explores the fantasy that becomes that scandalous house's own double: Camelot." Although the film stays away from the aspects of politics, it does show the roles that the people of Congress play when such a tragedy occurs. Bobby helped Jackie immensely by being emotional support for Jackie, but he also had to deal with many of the legal aspects like how to protect the Kennedy family while also having to help the new President transition into office. The assassination of John was a rut in the lives of the American people, but everyone including Jackie was able to move on and become stronger because of it.

2. Like I said before, the film mainly focused on the emotional ride that Jackie experienced after her husband's assassination. WIthout any prior knowledge of the Kennedy's one may not know even why the film was created. The film covers little about what John did for the United States and his impact. I personally found the start of the film a little confusing, because it is based all around an interview that Jackie had with Theodore White. The interview makes the plot move and takes the audience back and forth between past and present. I feel like the film does not display the responses of the Americans to this tragedy. The loss of John was a loss for all of America. John and Jackie were seen as the "ideal American marriage" and the film did not show how America was responding. It focused more on what was happening on the inside of the White House. The film does make clear the concerns that were occurring about having a procession and felt like Jackie might be at risk for another attack.
I feel like the film does not show her Jackie's true intelligence in the film. Jackie studied at George Washington University and was fluent in French. She was knowledgeable in multiple other languages as well. The film shows her quickness to discern any assumptions that the media might have had about here and incautious about her appearance because she has become such a great celebrity during this time period.

3. I feel like there could have been more scenes with John before his assassination. He contributed to so much of how she became who she was. By showing their life before, I feel like it could build up, even more, the fantasy which the writers and directors might have been looking for. John would every now and then make comments about Jackie which were genuine statements and would have created an even more emotional connection to Jackie's character. The Kennedys are well known for the renovation of the White House, which was featured in the film and I wish that there was more about the hard efforts that she took to get to that the place was she was able to show the American people what she did. I feel like showing how she was able to retrieve all pieces for renovation would show the audience how passionate and driven she was to get stuff done.

Annotated Sources

Jackie 

America's History, 9th Edition, Chapter 27, "Uncivil Wars: Liberal Crisis and Conservative Rebirth, 1961-1972," Pages 846-847; 862-864

Britannica: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, by Betty Boyd Caroli - Background history on Jacqueline Kennedy

The New York Times: 'Jackie': Under the Widow's Weeds, a Myth Marketer - This was a film review written by Manohla Dargis she broke apart the film and gave thorough commentary

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: Life of Jacqueline B. Kennedy  - confirmed some of the background information I had read about before and went more into detail about her connection to the arts.

VOGUE: Jackie Kennedy's Best Hostess Advice and Most Memorable Entertainment Moments  - This article gave me a taste of what her parties at the White House were like.

Smithsonian.com: The Preservation Battle of Grand Central - This article talked about Jakie's efforts to save Grand Central and what that meant to her.

Vanity Fair: The Winter of Her Dispair, by Barbara Leaming - This article gave me very minute details about Jackie and her life after her husband died.

Archivally Speaking: An Inside Look at the JFK Library Archives - This article provided me with a picture of one of Jackie's menus from a dinner party.

History.com: Fifty Years Ago: The Food of the Kenedy White House, by Stephanie Butler - This source told me about how the Kennedys transformed the Whitehouse through its food.

Town & Country: Jackie Director Pablo Larrain on Filming a First Lady in Mourning - This was an interview with Pablo Larrain, the Director of the film Jackie. The interview covered why he chose Natalie Portman to play Jackie and how the film changed his opinion on her.

Menue

Champagne
Champagne was Jackie's favorite drink and something she brought to the White House. It represented her class and elegance that her legacy left behind.  

Oysters Rockefeller

Soupe a l’oignon (French onion soup)
Soupe a l'oignon is part of French cuisine and is appropriate food to serve at the dinner because onions are the main ingredient and onions have many layers that can be pulled back and "make one cry." Jackie had gone through lots of trauma including the death of two children and the assassination of her husband. On the outside, Jackie looked like a very strong and poised woman, but she was also very emotional. Jackie preferred to keep her personal questions for a priest. In the film, the director decided to show some of the intimate conversations she had where she would ask questions like, "Why God would allow her husband to die when he had so much more to offer to the world." 

              

Coq au vin (braised chicken)

Haricots vert aux amandes (green beans with almonds)
I chose this meal because green represents growth and the Kennedy's brought a new beginning to the history of the White House. They refurbished the White House and challenged American citizens to think about what they could do for their country.  

Crème brûlée
I chose this dessert because it is a classic French dessert. This dessert also is similar to Jackie as it looks elegant on the outside but one has to crack into the desert to get to the real "meat" of the desert. Jackie may have seemed beautiful on the outside, but she kept many things about her personal life private. She only allowed William Manchester, an author, to write a book about Jack right after the incident. The director even stated that his initial view of here was superficial and thought she only cared about style. 

Mousse au chocolat (chocolate mousse)

              

Demi-tasse (espresso)
Jackie was known for starting a tradition in the White House of inviting the men and women to have coffee together after the dinner. This was not common in the previous history, usually, men and women would "retire to separate rooms after the dinner" (Bobb)

          

I decided to plan a dinner menu that would pay homage to JFK, but also celebrate Jackie’s love of fine food and culture. Jackie was known for being very smart. She studied French literature at George Washington University and impressed people with her fluent French. She also commissioned fashion pieces from French designers.

I found a collection of White House dinner menus from January-April 1962, which are part of the Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers at the JFK Library. Jackie was very intentional in planning the menus. She often chose to limit them to three or four courses and tailored the dishes in order to reflect the cultural background of dinner guests. I noticed that all of the menus had at least one French dish. Based on her love of French culture, I chose to design an entirely French menu for this dinner. This is a celebration for her and how she left a mark on the American people. 

I felt that it was important to incorporate JFK’s identity into the menu, because one of the major themes in Jackie was JFK’s legacy. In an interview after his assassination, Jackie says he didn’t have enough time. In another scene, she and Bobby talk about how he could have accomplished more with civil rights, the space program, and relations with Vietnam.  According to the JFK Library, he loved seafood and he preferred chocolate desserts. Therefore, I decided to serve oysters as an appetizer and chocolate mousse for dessert. The oysters represent the entire Kennedy family, who grew up on the water in Cape Cod. This was known as the Kennedy Compound and was a part of every Kennedy’s identity.

Exhibit

This is a link to the documentary of  A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy. Jackie was well known for her impact on the White House. She made the White House a home for the family and America. The Kennedy's wanted people to appreciate the history of the White House more and so Jackie worked to restore the White House. She worked to acquire antique furniture that had once been significant pieces in the history of the White House and to those who had come before them.  Once Kennedy's had finished some of the renovations, she hosted a special on CBS on a tour of the White House. Eighty Million watched her tour. 

These were the funeral arrangements for President Kennedy's funeral. In the film, the director showed Jackie focusing much of her energy on creating a proper funeral for her husband. She wanted his legacy to continue well beyond his death and she believed his funeral would play a large role in that. Jackie pulled inspiration from Lincoln's funeral plans and wanted to implement some aspects of Lincoln's funeral into John's.

This was the packing list from the day before Jack was assassinated. This haunting note that helped Jackie organize her thoughts for the next day; it included specific "hour by hour timestamps along with the clothes and accessories that would accompany the event.    

Jackie was known for her triple-strand Pearl necklace. This is a picture of a Faux Pearl Necklace that is similar to one she would have worn that was inherited from her mother. Her Pearls were just one part of her fashion trends that she set. Pearls represent generosity and integrity, which is what Jackie exemplified.  Pearls are also made over a long period of time and this links back to the theme of the party, "Grace and Resilience: A Celebration of Wisdom through Experience," because pearls also symbolize wisdom. The pearls are an important item to this dinner party because guests will receive a pearl as a party favor to remind them of the females that influenced their lives.  

This was the Life Magazine article written by Theodore H. White. The film uses the interview between Jackie and White to move the plot and show the viewers different pivotal times after the assignation. The interview between the two was said to last for four hours and the iconic Camelot myth was mentioned.      

This is the Pink suit Jackie wore on that fateful day. She wore the blood-stained suit hours after the assassination to show Americans "what they had done." She was known for her iconic style with her pillbox hats and sheath dresses. Jackie has influenced people not only through her character but through her fashion as well.

This was the beaded silk gown designed by Oleg Cassini that Jackie wore on the night Pablo Casals performed at the White House. The film featured a clip of Jackie and President Kennedy on that night when Casals performed and was used as a flashback to the days of splendor and fantasy. 

This was Lincoln's Bed that Kennedy's were able to acquire for the White House. Lincoln himself was an import figure in the Kennedy's lives. The film makes it clear how Jackie wanted John to have a great legacy like Lincoln. Like I said before, Jackie used Lincon's funeral plans for inspiration and she wanted a procession like Lincoln's for Jack.

Invitation

The theme of my evening is "Grace and Resilience: A Celebration of Wisdom through Experience." After watching the film Jackie, I learned that despite the many tragedies that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis experienced, she was a symbol of amazing strength. This evening takes place on the 25th anniversary of her husband, President John F. Kennedy's death. At this stage of her life, Jackie remained a prominent figure in society, because she used the wisdom she had gained earlier in life to advocate for other causes. Jackie was passionate about the arts, architecture, and culture. According to the Smithsonian, in 1975, she helped prevent the destruction of the famous Grand Central Terminal in New York City. She was persistent, arguing that the building was a symbol of history and beauty. I chose to host the evening at Grand Central Terminal, because without her wisdom and resilience, it may not have existed in 1988.

Guest List

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is hosting the evening. She has arranged this dinner to celebrate her love of culture with others. She and President Kennedy were known for bringing elegance to the White House. They often entertained guests with sophisticated food and classical music. Jackie also became a fashion icon by wearing pearl necklaces and pillbox hats. She had an identity apart from being First Lady to the President.

Robert F. Kennedy, also known as Bobby, was JFK's younger brother. He supported Jackie after JFK's assassination. Bobby is displayed as a very important character in the film and it was very clear to me that he wanted to bring her comfort. I chose to invite Bobby to this dinner as a way for Jackie to express her gratitude for his support.     

Nancy Ludlow Tuckerman was Jackie's personal secretary. She is featured in the film as a close friend and confidante to Jackie, especially after JFK's assassination. For example, she helped Jackie respond to the many condolence letters she received. I chose to invite Nancy to this dinner because she remained in Jackie's life until her own death.

Pablo Larrain is the director of Jackie. He is Chilean, and therefore, did not feel personally connected to the story of the Kennedys, an iconic American family. However, after he learned more about Jackie herself, he became interested in portraying an emotional journey from the perspective of a strong woman. I chose to invite Pablo to this dinner because he also views Jackie as a symbol of grace and resilience.

Theodore H. White was a journalist and historian featured in Jackie. After JFK's assassination, Jackie summoned him to the White House and asked him to help preserve JFK's legacy by writing a heroic article about him. I chose to invite Theodore to this dinner because I think Jackie deserves the same recognition that JFK received.

Pablo Casals was a cellist and composer from Spain. In Jackie, he is featured playing cello during a dinner party at the White House. The scene is a flashback to when JFK was living, and he and Jackie would co-host dinner parties. JFK awarded Pablo a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his musical talents. I chose to invite Pablo to this dinner to play music for the other guests, as a positive reminder to Jackie of her life as First Lady but also the 25 years since, where she has continued to enjoy the arts.

Although they were not featured in Jackie, I chose to invite Nancy Reagan and Michelle Obama, future First Ladies, to this dinner. Nancy and Jackie shared similar interests in fashion and culture. Most importantly, however, Nancy experienced similar trauma to Jackie when Ronald Reagan was injured from an assassination attempt. I think that Jackie could share wisdom with Nancy at this dinner, assuring her that Reagan would recover and that she will grow stronger because of the experience. I also chose to invite Michelle Obama because she too was an iconic First Lady. Not only was she the first African American First Lady, but she established her own identity at the White House. I think Michelle, like Nancy, would draw strength and inspiration from Jackie.

Thinking Like A Historian (2.10)

Frances Willard, pictured in the middle, was a major activist who helped introduce women's suffrage to the United States.

The documents that I read were all about Frances Willard. Frances Willard was a late-nineteenth-century temperance reformer who also fought for women's suffrage and temperance. She built the WCTU (Women's Christain Temperance Movement) which applied Christianity ideals to fighting for reform. During this time there was a large amount of alcohol abuse and women in WCTU fought against that. Frances wrote multiple guide books for WCTU members, one of the documents had some excerpts from Hints and Helps. There were rules on what to get involved in and who one should write letters to. From reading these different documents I got the sense that sometimes they mad their actions speak louder than their words. For example, Frances took s picture of here on a bicycle to show worries parents that riding a bike was safe and fun.      

Art and Design Challenge Freedom Riders (2.9)

This is the location of the Greyhound Bus Station 

Jim Zwerg, he suffered the most injuries on that day

John Lewis, on the Freedom Riders that survived that brutal day

My class and I took a field trip to Montgomery, Alabama. We observed many monuments and memorials and I expanded my knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement. One of the topics discussed on this trip was the experience of the Freedom Riders. Before visiting Montgomery I knew little about the Freedom Riders, all I recognized was the title. I didn't know the people involved or why the people were called that. I remember standing outside the Freedom Riders' museum and listening to a lady tell the story of these amazing people. Many parts of the story were hard to imagine and believe that there was so much intolerance for innocent humans. When I returned home I wanted to learn more, the assignment of creating a monument or memorial for the Freedom Riders was a task that was interesting to me.

When I first thought of creating something that would commemorate the Freedom Riders the question of whether to honor all just the ones that were in Montgomery came upon me. I first thought about just commemorating the Montgomery Freedom Riders but I didn't want the message to be interpreted as the Freedom Riders of Montgomery were any more important than those that were not pictured. My first task was to create a memorial that would involve all of the Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders' museum had a glass window with the names of the Freedom Riders and that was where I got my inspiration to make sure I had a glass element were all the Freedom Riders would be commemorated. I continued to look for inspiration from other monuments and memorials and remembered the figures that were on the "outskirts" of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The statues were life-sized and one could walk up to them and stare into their noble eyes.  I vividly recall the statues that, I believe, were commemorating Rosa Parks. I know that if I created a monument or memorial, I would want the viewer to have that same feeling of being able to feel part of the scene. I would want my memorial to have life-sized Freedom Riders and a life-sized bus.

Through my research, I read about many of the Freedom Rides and events that lead up to and following the rides. According to an article from Britannica, the United States Supreme Court banned segregation in interstate buses in the year 1946. Later, in 1960 the Supreme Court decided on the Boynton versus Virginia which declared "that segregation in interstate travel, including bus station facilities, violated the interstate commerce Act" ( African American History Month Feature 2012 Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, Alabama). African Americans disagreed with the decisions of the Supreme Court which led to the creation of the nonviolent rides. The rides were made up of "white" and "black" civil rights activists who were strong and pushed through many hardships. I vision the statues of the Montgomery Riders to be in the bus and looking straight forward with dignity because nothing stopped the Freedom Riders. The memorial would be made of all bronze except for the back of the bus, which would be the glass piece with all the names of the Freedom Riders. Therefore, people who view the memorial can have a glips inside the bus. The bus itself would be bronze and look like it is made of bricks, pipes, baseball bats and chains. I would want the bus to have this appearance to symbolize that when people beat the riders down with their makeshift weapons, it just made them stronger and fight harder. I would have the bus facing west towards Missippi were many of the buses were headed. Around the bus, there would be small bushed mixed with white poppies because poppies symbolize peace. The plants would be in a ring-like pattern around the bus and the community would help plant the flowers.

The Freedom Riders deserve to be remembered forever and I think students should learn more about them because they truly changed the course of history.
Sources:
Britannica: Freedom Riders

History.com: Freedom Riders

National Park Service: National Register of Historic Places Program: African American History Month Feature 2012 Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, Alabama 

PBS.org: Meet the players Freedom Riders

Monument Builders of North America: Monument Materials, Finished, and Techniques

USC News: Architects' dilemma on memorials: Forget and heal, or confront and grieve