Christine Letters
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[edit] The Christine (book) Letters
According to U.S. Senator Hiram Warren Johnson, "The first casualty when war comes is truth" (Ferri, 1987). Since the beginning of World War I, propaganda has played an important role in exploiting the opposition. The credibility of propaganda can be determined by analyzing the source and comparing it with documents that are factual. In particular, British propaganda in World War I used Christine, a series of letters written by Elizabeth Von Arnim, pen name Alice Cholmondeley, to promote Anti-German sentiment propaganda. When comparing the Christine (book) letters to authentic war time letters, they were found to be fabricated.
[edit] Christine (book) Compared to Nonfiction Sources of the Same Era
[edit] An Interrupted Life (Letters from Westerbork)
One way to determine Christine's credibility is by comparing it to other authentic letters of relatively the same time and circumstances. An Interrupted Life (Letters from Westerbork) is a book that is a publication of young girl’s Ester Hillesum diary and letters from the time period of March 1941 until her death in 1943.
Christine’s letters were solely written to her mother. Her mother, three years after Christine’s death, decided to publish the letters with a motive behind the publishing. Etty’s letters from Westerbork were published much later than just three years after her death. Her letters were not just easily gathered and published. Additional letters began surfacing once the book was published worldwide and became more popular. The final publication was then published in 1986. This publication date was forty-three years after the death of Etty.
The analytical element of logos can be used to justify or disprove the authenticity of a source. Etty’s letters have a sufficient amount logos supporting them.
- There is a thorough description of her entire life in the introduction of the book.
- Her diaries are published with the letters.
- Etty wrote to many different people.
- Pictures of her, the places she writes about, the people she writes of, the times she describes, and even of her postcards that she sent out are printed with the letters.
- There are publication notes at the end of the book clarifying and citing different dates, places, people, and a number of other things.
Christine does not contain this same type of notable logos. Along with the letters only being written to her mother, the collection lacks:
- Biography or description of who Christine is from a source other than her mother.
- Pictures
- Any type of publication or editor notes. (The entire book is strictly just letters.)
- Also, it is odd for a book to end in advertisements of a few of the Macmillan novels.
There are some specific attributes that come to mind when one thinks of including when writing letters. Christine’s letters do not display these and Etty’s does. When comparing the two collections it is these types of characteristics that makes Etty’s believable to the readers and leaves one to question the validity of Christine.
- While both girls wrote about how they missed home, Etty actually spoke of visiting those that she longed for.
- Etty constantly is asking those whom she is writing to send her regards to several people. Christine does not do this.
- Etty’s letters are continuously filled with questions she hopes will be answered by the person she is writing. Christine's letters come off as one-sided and lacking dialogue.
- Etty consistently gives detailed explanations of narrative moments (events and place: camp) where she is, the food, how she is feeling, the weather, the time, the people she is with, and even “deep personal reflection about human nature, society, and god.” ([“Etty” Hillesum]). Christine had an agenda and therefore the types of details that would be in letters if they were truly written are restrained. They were, "purporting to be letters home from a girl in Berlin, is was viewed by some as anti-German propaganda; but it was meant partly as homage to Elizabeth's seventeen-year-old who died in Germany in 1916" (Oxford DNB, 2004). This hidden meaning creates a lack of validity in the letters.
[edit] Letters to Freya
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke wrote about 1600 believable letters titled "Letters to Freya" from the World War I to World War II era to his wife Freya von Moltke. The ethos of the character, Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, is credible given the Moltke family name, documented career, and wife, Freya, who is reportedly alive today.
Moltke wrote personal letters to his wife in which the pathos of the letters reveal a loving marriage and were not intended to be read by anyone other than his wife. His letters, at times, would refute previous letters, be repeated, or sometimes revert back to previously sent letters. This shows that his letters were engaging and were written in an everyday tone. The Christine (book) Letters appear perfect in terms of grammar. This element of flawlessness contradicts the nature of a journal.
The logos of the letters can be determined by the history of Germany during this time, Moltke’s personal accounts of events, and the credibility of his position that allows him to actually witness these events. The biography written by the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, justifies his existence, whereas the identity of Christine is unknown. The inclusion of photographs and maps of his journey substantiates the element of authenticity. The Christine Letters lack such accurate details, causing them to be vague. The publisher placed footnotes to add clarity and this feature is not provided in the Christine Letters, adding to its fraudulent nature.
[edit] References
- Cholmondeley, Alice. Christine. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1917. 1-250.
- Ferri, John. "Propagandists Had Huge Impact." Toronto: The Toronto Star, Nov. 8 1987. A16.
- Hillesum, Etty. An Interrupted Life: Letters From Westerbork. Comp. Jan G. Gaarlandt. Trans. Arnold J. Pomerans. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986. 1-156.
- Matthew, H.C.G., Harrison, Brian. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. 471-473.
- Von Moltke, Helmuth J. Letters to Freya. Trans. Beate R. Von Oppen. Ed. Beate R. Von Oppen. New York: Alfred a. Knopf, 1990. 1-441.
