Me: Hello there Norbert, is it alright if I ask you a few questions about yourself?
Norbert: Why sure.
Me: Okay then, let’s get started. What events early in your life could have sparked your interest in science?
Norbert: Well, I guess because my father sent me to Paris to get my Engineering degree.
Me: I bet that was quite an experience, going to another country as privileged as you were to get a degree.
Norbert: Yes, it was indeed. I can’t thank my father enough.
Me: Well, on to the next question. What role did your mentors play in developing your talents and interests in science?
Norbert: Well, as previously stated, my father very much so wanted me to become and inventor, so he sent me off to get an Engineering degree. He also told me so much of inventors I couldn’t wait to become one myself.
Me: What were your most major accomplishments?
Norbert: I would definitely have to say when I published a series of papers on steam engines and when I invented the steam-based device to get the juice out of sugarcane to make sugar.
Me: What were your limitations as a scientist or as a person?
Norbert: Well, I really didn’t have any limitations, granted, I was an African American free man but nothing was too serious to stop my work.
Me: What were the prevalent religious beliefs at the time of your life?
Norbert: I lived in New Orleans, which was basically all catholic at the time, so I guess the answer would be Catholicism.
Me: Great, we’re half way done. What major cultural, economic, and political situations were taking place at the time of your work?
Norbert: Well, as you may know, my work took part during the era of Imperialism. This was when growing influence of the British, German, and United States empires was happening, this spurred military conflicts but help advancement in science. Economically the world was fine compared to how things are now.
Me: What artists, musicians, and writers were working at the same time as you in the United States?
Norbert: Well, in Pennsylvania the Academy of Fine Arts was founded my painter Charles Willson Peale and sculptor William Rush, Ralph Waldo Emerson published his paper “Nature” which was very inspiring to radical thinkers and Mark Twain came out with the book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. Lastly, a very popular song in 1954 was “Yankee Doodle”, by Dr. Shamburg.
Me: Very interesting. What were the basic demographics of the United States at the time you were working?
Norbert: Well, from when I was born to when I passed on, the United States population grew from 6.5 Million to over 70 Million citizens. The average income of my time was around $7 a week, or $492 a year. As you can see, it wasn’t much.
Me: How were gender and class roles defined during this time frame?
Norbert: Well, the men worked and put food on the table while the women took care of children, cooked, cleaned, did any chores that needed to be done, and sometimes even schooled the children. The children were to get an education and help their mother if asked.
Me: Well thank you Norbert, it really has been a pleasure. I appreciate you answering these questions for me very much.
Norbert: Oh really, the pleasure’s mine. Thanks for having me.
Norbert, you lived in a time where it was very conversative and routine like. I can very much agree. The men did most of the work and the women cleaned and cooked and cared for the children, back when I was working anyways. We both had to get ourselves out there and make sure that we weren't just normal people working in a factory.
ReplyDeleteWe were very different though. You were incredibly educated and very very knowledgeable. I wasn't dumb, but I wasn't very educated on working on things or fixing things. I was good at what I did, though, which is write. We do have a similarity there, we are very good at what we do.
I think that people in my time period were hard workers. People had to put food on the table. You know how it is, you have to work to feed yourself. And if you have a family, most importantly, feed them. People in my time period needed to work because spots were filling up fast.
My era effected my work because writers weren't the most wealthy people back in a time where factory owners made all of the money. Writers were not very supported because no one really needed to read or write about things. No one cared enough. My life was very dark, as you can see through my writing.
Please write back.
Edgar Allan Poe.
Hello Norbert, like you and many other artists of my time your influence was your father. He made you go get a degree in engineering as my father told me to go learn how to dance for which I am very great full as well. You need a degree for what you do where as I only need classes and talent. I bet its hard to actually take tests for what you want to go, I guess its kind of like an audition. I really like that you know about Mark Twain the writer and that he is from your time. He did not get recognized until the later years of my life but I truly enjoyed his stories. I can imagine being like you. You got so far and it must have been extremely difficult as an African American. Even though you were free and were allowed to do everything you did, people were not very accepting so you had to work even harder to get noticed. Im interested in hearing more about you. Talk to you soon?
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