Spoon River Anthology · Chapter
Rutherford McDowell explained
Rutherford McDowell, a photographer, reflects on the ambrotypes he made of the old pioneers and their descendants.
What happens
Rutherford McDowell, a photographer, reflects on the ambrotypes he made of the old pioneers and their descendants. He observes a mystical pathos in the pioneers' eyes, a serene sorrow that he cannot fathom. In contrast, the faces of the third generation show a loss of the old strength, faith, mastery of life, and courage that once characterized their forebears.
Themes in this chapter
Death and Legacy
The pioneers are gone and forgotten, their legacy fading in the third generation, who lack the old strength and courage.
The Search for Meaning
McDowell cannot fathom the 'mystical pathos' in the pioneers' eyes, suggesting a search for understanding the deeper meaning of their lives and the loss of their spirit.
Characters to notice
- Rutherford McDowell
The photographer who captures the faces of pioneers and their descendants, noting the decline of pioneer virtues.
Key passages
“They brought me ambrotypes / Of the old pioneers to enlarge.”
People brought me old photographs of the early settlers to make larger copies.
McDowell's work as a photographer involves restoring and enlarging images of the town's founders.
“Truly did my camera record their faces, too, / With so much of the old strength gone, / And the old faith gone, / And the old mastery of life gone, / And the old courage gone, / Which labors and loves and suffers and sings under the sun!”
My camera captured the faces of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but they have lost the strength, faith, mastery, and courage that once allowed the pioneers to work, love, endure, and celebrate life.
McDowell laments the decline of pioneer virtues in the younger generations.