Harry Houdini’s Affect on the American Identity

Breaking bonds in mid-air, slipping chains with a smiling Harry Houdinis greatest talent was not in do illusions, but making any obstacle seem irrelevant (Rothstein). Life in the early 1900s was depressing and filled with extremely strenuous work. composition watching Houdini, fans doneout the States and Europe were dazzled by his escapism and were given a brain of hope as a result of his exploits. Nothing on Earth could hold Houdini a captive e truly illusion achieved the impossible.To immigrants, he was an example of the freedom that came with the American dream. The magical achievements of Harry Houdini evoked a sentiency of straight-out exponent and imagination that helped to inflate a belief in a limitless(prenominal) America. There are certain arguments, however, that must be considered when examining Houdinis contributions to the American personal identity. Like all illusionists, Houdini make the impossible appear to be not only possible, but easy to accomplish. As a result, some children attempted to emulate his intricate misss, ending up injured or worse.In addition, those who believed in a limitless sense of the possible, using Houdinis magic as a symbol for freedom from boundaries, were cross by the realization that the American dream was not easily attained. Contrary to this speculation, Houdinis contributions to the American identity were overall positive because he gave hope for a new life. Even to this day his name is cognise for magic and inspiration. Harry Houdini was born in the late 1800s with the birth name of Ehrich Weisz. The early twentieth degree centigrade marked an era of both beginnings and endings.Americans of this time period had yet to make their mark in the world, and were very impressionable. Life for children of the early 1900s was work and school, so when they heard about the magic man, and saw Houdini, they gained a sense of imagination that had been deprived of them. Fans saw new possibilities once Harry Houdi ni came into the picture innovations in the humanities and recreation gave a strong sense of national pride among the population as a whole. Houdini demonstrated the power to overcome bondage, to dissolve material obstacles, to confound expectations.The yearning that magic awakened in audiences was no less vital in himself. Even todays most amazing magicians, like David Blaine, are relieve inspired by Harry Houdini. Blaine is the Harry Houdini of the current generation and as Blaine watched a video of Houdini performing an illusion he said Its almost beautiful the beautiful struggle. (Barron). Today, Houdinis legacy lives on and merely any magicians today do not owe Harry Houdini a debt. Houdini elevated the magic arts to a phenomenon and invented an entirely new category of magic the lose act. And as a result, Harry Houdinis name is synonymous with escapes.His ability to get out of seemingly impossible situations made him a romance in his own time. Impossible illusions sho cked crowds, the most famous being eating needles, being interred alive, escaping from a torture cell, and dangling upside-down trapped in a straight jacket. All his escape illusions made people believe that nothing could hold them back they were free and realized it was possible to escape from any trouble with which they were faced (Magical History). Nothing on Earth can hold Houdini a prisoner read a sign from 1906, and by 1917, America seemed prepared to believe it.Houdini was publicly proclaiming the possibility of liberation. Was this, as the exhibition points out, the immigrants fantasy as well? It must have been thrilling to watch an enactment of such transcendence, and not just of social obstacles, of course, but of spiritual ones, as well. The poor and the downtrodden embodied his acts with a variety of reverence. Even death is overcome by Houdinis powers (Rothstein). According to one of Houdinis reviewers, immigrants in the early 1900s came to America and saw Harry Houd ini as an example of the American dream and indeed molded their view of what it heart to be American to the magic of Houdini.The American dream includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and conquest and it is implied that freedom is the key to that success. Harry Houdinis death-defying escapes during his life time fascinated audiences, particularly the many European immigrants. He inspired his audiences primarily because he was, at one time, a struggling immigrant himself. To them, he was the conformation of the American dream. Immigrants watched Houdini and felt confident in making individual choices without the prior restrictions that limit people match to their class, caste, religion, race, or ethnicity.By doing things that were seen by all as impossible, Houdini gave people a feeling of invincibility contributed to the American identity. Although Harry Houdinis achievements occurred in the past, his legend lives on more than 80 years after his death. until now co nsidered the greatest and most well known magician of all time, Houdinis legacy for magic, performance and theater of operations endures. After witnessing his amazing illusions, peoples imaginations soared and they saw limitless possibilities in the United States that molded the American identity.During Houdinis lifetime, he put a face to the idea of freedom and even today, if asked what it means to be an American, the word freedom will always be discussed. And since then, the feelings of freedom and possibility have been passed down through the generations and directly affect the nation and what it means to be an American. If men like Harry Houdini had not existed, then hope for a new life might have remained a dream for many. Houdini and his illusions became an icon for hope, and his legacy has remained an important thread in the tapestry of the American identity.