Slavery remarks by Hawthorne and Farkas

[KeithB]

The following remarks formerly were in my custom signature. They were there for over a year, during which time one person asked what they meant in a post in January of this year. I have since then deleted them to save space, as called for by the new guidelines.
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"All slavery is reciprocal..." Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1844

"One devotes many hours as the French horn's slave before becoming its master. Even then the master must always be a partial slave." Philip Farkas, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1956
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I found the first one while browsing some literary Web sites. I had just finished reading The Scarlet Letter and wished to learn some more about the author. I think he was referring to the moral and ethical dilemma that burdened those who depended on slave labor and couldn't afford to free the slaves. One can envision such slave owners as being enslaved, figuratively, by a socio-economic system which Mr. Hawthorne considered to be fundamentally bad.

Mr. Farkas was using the word "slave" figuratively. He was referring to the continuing daily need to practice rigorously for as much as three hours a day to keep up the skill needed to play the French horn professionally. I have been doing that for over 40 years. He was not kidding.

Of course I am not a slave in any legal or ethical sense. We musicians are free to learn another profession or trade if we get tired of the demands of this practicing.

Any responses, good, bad or indifferent, are more than welcome. That is what debate on hot-button topics is all about.

[mr pru]

The statement is still in poor taste. You knew it would provoke a response. IMO that's one of the reasons you chose it.

[JerryStopher]

I would tend to agree with Hawthorne: the slaveholder is trapped in the slavery-system, or at least feels thataway. This concept has been put forward by a couple of History profs I have known, as part of the dilemma of the slaveholders in Southern States: They would've been better off economically had they freed the slaves and hired nonslave labor; but they couldn't do that, partly because of their racist attitude, and partly because there wasn't enough nonslave labor available. To counter the argument that freeing the slaves would have made the new nonslaves available for hire, there is the hatred the slaveholders had for the slaves because of their ethnicity.

So: the slaveholder is slave to the slave system, thus the comment that all slavery is reciprocal. It seems true to me.

I cannot vouch for the musician's difficulties; I can only say that I am the only non-musician in at least four generations of my family.

[THIZfiyaVIETgrl]

The statement is still in poor taste. You knew it would provoke a response. IMO that's one of the reasons you chose it.

Isn't that the point? Keith clearly stated that he wants responses to the statements and hear what people have to say about them.

[attyfan]

I also don't know anything about the extent, if any, to which slavery applies to music. However, Hawthorne's remark reminds me of Harry Truman's comments -- "The only way to hold a man in the gutter is to get down there with him"

[KeithB]

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your thoughts with us.

Harry Truman's comments -- "The only way to hold a man in the gutter is to get down there with him"

Good old "Give 'em Hell" Harry, telling it like it is. I think he was my grandfather's favorite President.

[EigthAv]

Lets look at what is going on with Wal Mart.Are we not encouraging slave labour everytime we purchase products from Wal Mart? The dirt cheap prices suck us in and once you cross the line,it is easier to just keep on doing it and to try and not think too hard about the dirty side of "dirt cheap". You want top dollar for your goods and services and want to pay bottom dollar for the goods and services of others........and still expect quality. And yes,I can quickly see the comparison the being a musician.Playing the instrument.......in my case,electric bass guitar..........gets in your blood,so to speak.Sometimes it is such a gift.Sometimes you can become a slave to your instrument and to the muse.There is,of course,always the option of simply putting it down and walking away from it.Real slaves don't often have that choice.Slavery,like what went on in America,has never made a lick of sense to me.About as stupid the notion as "the Earth is flat".Didn't they know their descendants would pay a heavy price? The whole thing was twisted.The buyers,the sellers,the Africans who would round up human beings to trade."Do unto others as you would that others would do unto you". So simple.How many people,given a choice,would choose slavery?

[Lisa Seye]

EightAv,
I am right there with you when it comes to shopping at WalMart. I often encourage co workers, classmates, family and friends to boycott Walmart. They are one of the biggest reasons why jobs are being shipped overseas. Once upon a time, they boasted of only ahving American made products. Now they drive their suppliers to lower and lower costs so the suppliers must ship their jobs overseas in order to do business with Walmart. So workers overseas work for peanuts while workers here cannot find a job. BOYCOTT WalMart.

[JerryStopher]

Re: the above remarks on Wal-Mart.

In 1988, while the vast array of Democratic presidential hopefuls travelled around the country debating each other, Jesse Jackson often included this little tidbit:

"How many y'all own a VCR? Raise your hands!" The audience would all put their hands up.

"Okay, hands down. Now how many y'all own an MX Missile?" No hands would go up, and Jesse would say, "You see? We makin' what ain't nobody buyin'!"

Before the nomination was settled, Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, who prided himself on selling only USA-made products, was pressuring American companies to make VCRs, so he could sell 'em in his stores. Jesse's tactic was working!

Then, after ol' Sam died, his stores changed completely.

[Lisa Seye]

JerryStopher,
Thanks. I did not know that bit of info about Jesse's comment. Very interesting and so true. :-)