Lost in Czechoslovakia

The world in so much smaller than it seems. One hundred years ago, Jan Gebauer redefined how the Czech people related to their language. By categorizing the multinational components of his language, Gebauer created grammars and linguistic histories that were widely used by his countrymen. in the late 19th century, Gebauer was attempting to create a centralized language in a region that was heavily influenced by neighboring countries. His student Vilem Mathesius took up this idea and became one of the first scholars to work with how to create meaning between the Czech and English languages. He created a system which he believed could define linguistic meaning and composition across all languages. Mathesius' fascination with English literature led him to nurture the same interests in his student Rene Wellek, who would become the founder of comparative literature. These ideas have worked their way through linguists, theologians, and literary critics to become a part of our program. The research on Gebauer and his descendants has been fascinating but ultimately frustrating. The linguistic roadblocks that are keeping our group from advancing in this project (as far as I have found, Gebauer was not published in English)show that although ideas are linked realities are very different. There are plenty of references to Gebauer and his work in relation to other scholars, but information on the scholar himself belongs to the Czech people. We have made attempts of course, the ferret out some information, but I do not trust the efficacy of Microsoft's translation software (The Riegrova dictionary wrote baltistická password Jan Gebauer, all located in the sixth part of 1865). I am sure that other groups are experiencing the same problems as we explore older generations of scholars. This is, of course, probably no different from the frustrations experienced by the authors of all of the those historical essays we read at the beginning of our Norton book. It is up to us, I guess, to push forward to find information that we know exists. It is interesting, though, to be dealing with a language barrier when researching scholars who worked to connect and create meaning out of multiple languages. In addition, this research has shown how much politics has influenced and continues to influence education. Gebauer, Mathesius, and Wellek were working during the Russian revolution (Russian politics had a significant effect on their country) and during the rise of the Nazi party. Their ideas illustrate an attention to racial and cultural issues that scholars like bell hooks and Bizzell (my new favorite) are still grappling with today.