Lucy Maud Montgomery made an appearance in episode twelve of season nine having written her famed novel before meeting Crabtree - Anne Of Green Gables (1908). 'Anne' Shirley was based on a picture of Evelyn Nesbit (December 25, 1884 - January 17, 1967) an American model she saw in a magazine. The character was based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's youth. In "Lucky In Love" (Feb 01, 2016), Lucy let George read her work. He thought Anne should be a boy. Though she did not like that commentary, George did encourage her, which led to it being published. The book was already finished when she met George.
The Murdoch Mysteries takes place in Canada in the first quarter of the 20th Century. The reference to a yet published "Tarzan" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, this episode happens long before "Edith Wharton" received 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Edith Wharton's inside perspective on the elite of society in late-19th to early-20th Century gave her the back ground for "The Age of Innocence." It was a story in four parts. It is of a man from an elite family locked to marry a woman of limited intelligence raised on 19th Century Family Values. He discovers a divorcee back from Europe with Modern Values, Education and obsesses over her. The conflict of the story is stick with the 19th Century values and marry a woman he no longer loves. Or, he leaves her for an exciting female of Modern intellect and values.
For the episode, Edith Wharton had already written a popular magazine series novel, "House of Mirth" (1905.) A woman from upper society closing in on her 29th year. A girl of Privilege who was able to marry well Socially and Economically, she sees her prospects scope smaller to a tragic, lonely existence. The subtext was a satire of Moral Corruption of Higher Society.
This is the type of writer Julia (Murdoch) admires in the episode, not the yet to be Pulitzer Prize winner of 1921.
A side note: Sinclair Lewis was voted to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for his satire "Main Street." He was chosen to win, but Columbia University's advisory board overwrote the decision for conservative, political reasons giving it to Edith Wharton. Wharton would be nominated several times later.
Edith Wharton's inside perspective on the elite of society in late-19th to early-20th Century gave her the back ground for "The Age of Innocence." It was a story in four parts. It is of a man from an elite family locked to marry a woman of limited intelligence raised on 19th Century Family Values. He discovers a divorcee back from Europe with Modern Values, Education and obsesses over her. The conflict of the story is stick with the 19th Century values and marry a woman he no longer loves. Or, he leaves her for an exciting female of Modern intellect and values.
For the episode, Edith Wharton had already written a popular magazine series novel, "House of Mirth" (1905.) A woman from upper society closing in on her 29th year. A girl of Privilege who was able to marry well Socially and Economically, she sees her prospects scope smaller to a tragic, lonely existence. The subtext was a satire of Moral Corruption of Higher Society.
This is the type of writer Julia (Murdoch) admires in the episode, not the yet to be Pulitzer Prize winner of 1921.
A side note: Sinclair Lewis was voted to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for his satire "Main Street." He was chosen to win, but Columbia University's advisory board overwrote the decision for conservative, political reasons giving it to Edith Wharton. Wharton would be nominated several times later.
This episode was awfully hard on Rudyard Kipling. Even though Henry James (who was in the episode but never seen) thought greatly of Kipling's intelligence, history more footnotes Kipling as a British white Imperialist with racist values and conservative philosophy. In Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" (1899,) he advises United States IMPERIALIZE the Philippines and 'civilise' the savage Filipinos. As elegant as Kipling was, his personal views would not stand up to 21st Century thinking. It would be possible that Rudyard Kipling would not have any popularity as he had over the last couple centuries. As much as Brackenreid is pro-British Monarchy in past episodes, Inspector Brackenreid does not think much of them for different reasoning. Brackenreid, being a Father of a Black, African-Canadian girl, he never confronts the author for his racist views when getting his autograph. Murdoch Mysteries being respectful of sexuality, race, and social standings Kipling's character leaves with Brackenreid thinking less of the man than when the episode first commences.
Edgar Rice Burroughs sneaks into this episode at the very end. Albeit, the character is in the episode under a different name.
Like Kipling, Burroughs has a dirty past with racism. "Tarzan" published as a book in 1914 is filled with stereotypes and racism. The concept of is of a boy raised by apes rules all animals, thinks less of Black Africans. It has been described as British Colonialism, Imperialism.
Other than that, Burroughs was ahead of his time with Sci-Fi stories such as "John Carter in the Barsoom Series." Carter was a Civil War Confederate Vet who some how ended up on Mars. It was his weird names and Sci-Fi concepts that gets top billing in this episode until the very end. Surprise to viewers, was his less popular Sci-Fi stories found in magazines and became more popular after the success of Tarzan.
Like Kipling, Burroughs has a dirty past with racism. "Tarzan" published as a book in 1914 is filled with stereotypes and racism. The concept of is of a boy raised by apes rules all animals, thinks less of Black Africans. It has been described as British Colonialism, Imperialism.
Other than that, Burroughs was ahead of his time with Sci-Fi stories such as "John Carter in the Barsoom Series." Carter was a Civil War Confederate Vet who some how ended up on Mars. It was his weird names and Sci-Fi concepts that gets top billing in this episode until the very end. Surprise to viewers, was his less popular Sci-Fi stories found in magazines and became more popular after the success of Tarzan.