Hobos and Vagabonds in Modern Literature, Essay Example

The movement known as modernity became a link in the chain reaction produced by the Industrial Revolution which quickly spread through the ‘civilized’ world. The working class burdened themselves with hope and with its realization, and even the importance of the monarchies and class distinctions waned. Drawing from the Hobo images presented in Woody Guthrie’s “Bound for Glory” and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Amateur Emigrant”, This paper examines the common descriptive features of a modern Hobo and compares it to the common perception of the society regarding outsiders. The study aims to highlight the common themes associated with the role of a hobo and vagabond in the society.

The thesis statement the authors would like to prove is that some themes appear in all three books, describing the relationships of hobos towards the society, namely: labeled as an outsider, lazy, purposeless and prejudiced against.

The author also concludes that he serves as a human illustration of the contrast between the pragmatism of traditionalism and the idealism of modernity. The hobo often builds the social dream- only to be excluded from its notice and care after his role reaches completion, and the dreamers dread to learn that their industrial Camelot rests upon fields of tears and sweat, and this paradox aptly captures the Modernist celebration of both increased social possibilities and its ire toward a focused motivation which came to be closely associated with the pitfalls of capitalism. (Habermas 41) The men who built modern luxuries experience the contradiction between their work and the entitlement of those who reap the benefits. This theme is not only present in the two texts examined by the authors, but in Davies’ ‘super-tramp’ character as well. According to him, the surest path to the lower classes’ enjoyment of modernity lies in the refusal to stake their lives upon those outcomes.

Background

To understand the relationship between modernity, society, and literature, a deeper concept of the presumed meaning of modernity and its actual representations becomes necessary. modernity rebelled against nearly all of the former accepted means of viewing the world and sought “the progressive subjugation of nature…in the interests of the people, at root a composite and collective dream of progress, freedom, truth, and ‘emancipation from want.’” (Muller & Cloete 24) In other words, the broader concept of modernity applied to the American dream and to British Industrialism.

The Industrial Revolution, made common workers a negligible factor of production. (Hobsbawm 92-96) The complex changes occurring at different levels of society presented a new conflict between the social obligation to the new homeless- with ample figurative and literal room for discovery- of the capitalist economy and the cultural progressivism which promised other unique boons to the society as a whole. (Habermas 43)

Industrialization also produced an unexpected side effect in Britain: the island nation known for its strict adherence to tradition began to consider change as natural and as less threatening to their national success than they had in the previous hundreds of years. (Hobsbawm 98-99) The increased mobility of people created a criminalized class within the society, and this was the class of “vagabonds”, which, later, developed into a class of homeless, rootless people, called hobos and tramps once crossing the Atlantic. The mobility increased with the spread of colonization, and people around the world decided to travel to the New Continent. From Irish Gypsies to common outcasts, there were different people landing in a new world. It is also important to note that many of these people moved continent in the hope that they would find more work, stability and opportunities, but they had to be disappointed.

Allen (13) states that what a vagabond meant in literary romanticism, hobo was in the modern American society. However, the main difference is that while literary romanticism idealized and “glamorized” homelessness as an expression of independence and free-will, awareness and aspiration. While themes of poverty and degradation appear, they are more prevalent in the modern description of a hobo than in the vagabond literature. (Allen 14)

During the post-war depression of America, (1921-29), a defining movement occurred in the society, according to Smiley, with the appearance of bankruptcy, financial insecurity, homeless people sneaked on freight trains to find better opportunities elsewhere. They had no economic or family ties, so they were free to travel. Neither did they have anything to lose.

Literature

Muller and Cloete writes of avantgarde art: “[It] explores unknown territory, exposes itself to the risk of sudden and shocking encounters, [and] conquers an as yet undetermined future.” (25) The novels of modernity might be called the avantgarde literature of its time. The Hobo, as a timeless figure embodying these characteristics, traverses from one era to another without little realization of anything of significance coming to pass—their concerns are more immediate. Furthermore, Singer argues that melodrama comprises an essential component to Modernist literature, because it endorses the view that excessive effort may produce the exact opposite of the intended effect. (137) Nonetheless, the eclectic group of homeless-by-choice men, collectively dubbed ‘hobohemia’, recognized their own set of rules, typically arranged in opposition to the recognized roles of the average capitalist American or faithful British subject (DePastino 199). The Hobo figure was an intrepid adventurer of the day and a victim of overreaching and of a greater fate beyond the control of individuals. The experience of life was a complex surrealistic masterpiece in and of itself, and the additional forces of change brought about by the Victorian period in Britain and the Industrial Revolution in Britain and America. (Singer 137-138)

In the first pages of Guthrie’s “Bound for Glory”, the reader glimpses the isolation and bleak prospects of the working travelers, “the gang of lost corpses heading back to the boneyard”. (5) Under the rank and hopeless conditions, any man among them works one misfortune away from desperation; the years of their health serve them little better. While their talents and skills built the civilized veil of the modern world, the men themselves wander as the builders of opportunity and ease for a higher class, separated from access by education, money, employment, and unconventional talents, such as fight-spotting.  Diversity and its acceptance is one of the main themes of the book. Those not belonging to the community stand by their own principles and accept others’ views. This is the only way to put up with a constant exclusion and the society’s continuous effort to treat the characters as “non-existent outsiders”. They are friends, but without ties. They use discriminative adjectives in a friendly manner, for example the phrase: “my Negro friend” appears several times in the text, but carries no racial or discriminative meaning. These people are the ones without prejudice and commonly accepted social norms. They might be outsiders, but they have a sense of freedom they value higher than belonging. However, the “bound” as a theme, appearing in the title as well suggests that the common traits and aspirations create a loose community among travelers, Indeed, they look out for each other share the joys and pains that come with their chosen lifestyle. They “wander together”, no matter where they are from. (quick companionship formed with Carl, the Mexican) They have no roots and take discrimination and prejudice naturally. When singing, mothers call: “Kids, come back here!” several times. The characters do not take any notice. They include everybody in the joy within the bar, but are still frowned upon. They are prejudiced by the police, the society, but not their peers. They are actively sought after in boxcars, as described in Guthrie’s work.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Amateur Emigrant” presents a harsher view, through the eyes of a passenger crossing on an overcrowded steamship. Stevenson’s style documents expected reactions of such a crossing- rather than dressing them up in the flowery language which adventurous literature typically utilized. His well-known novel “Treasure Island” features vagabonds and beggars but in the fantastic and unbelievable style of the period. For this reason, Gray writes that the mock-documentary writing of “The Amateur Emigrant” shocked publishers, who feared that few copies of the book would sell and that Stevenson’s reputation would suffer from the publication of such a low-brow and somber tale. (78-79) Stevenson’s perspective was greatly influenced by his personal feelings; he felt pressured into finishing the book and stressed by his new marriage to a woman whom he made his lover while she was still married. (Gray 90-96) It is, however, important to note that the main theme of the book featured in relation with the character’s lifestyle is the “lack of belonging”. The characters described as travelers or emigrants refuse the society’s common values because they no longer feel that they are valid. In a changing world, depression and lack of order rules.  As Stevenson (9) describes it:

“I had heard vaguely of these reverses; of whole streets of houses standing deserted by the Tyne, the cellar-doors broken and removed for firewood; of homeless men   loitering at the street-corners of Glasgow with their chests beside them; of closed    factories, useless strikes, and starving girls.”

In “The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp,” Davies approaches the Hobo differently- often making the beggar out to be the restless Bohemian-type wandering from one sordid adventure to the next.  In Davies’ estimation, a straight-forward beggar is an honest one, the ultimate example of supply and demand—his super-tramp demands little and supplies himself accordingly. In the other two texts, hobos and vagabonds struggle with society and its norms, hence they become more tolerant to each other. They have dreams and aspirations, hopes and worries.

Discussion

At the time that Stevenson wrote “The Amateur Emigrant” and made the crossing from Britain to America, approximately 24 million of Britain’s workers were classified as part of the ‘manual labour class’. (Hobsbawm 132) Despite forming labor trade unions and taking advantage of sweeping legal reform, the common laborer ironically paved the way for their own replacement. (133) A machine only had to outlive its initial investment to turn a profit; a worker- women and children among them- must reach a balance of productivity before the profit margins of production weighed against the owners. The industrialization, speedy development of towns, railway systems and communities in colonies created new hope for immigrants. These hopes are clearly stated in Stevenson’s “The Amateur Emigrant”. The author concludes that while the situation back in Britain was bad,

“All were full of hope for the future, and showed an inclination to innocent gaiety. Some were heard to sing, and all began to scrape acquaintance with small jests and ready laughter.” (Stevenson 9)

A movement, by definition, combines various aspects of society into a unified attempt to reach in a single, focused direction. If modernity became the body of then-futurists lamenting the 9-to-5 mold of industrialism as we know it today, then the vagrant, the beggar, or the Hobo are the natural mascots to spearhead the change. These literary figures refocus the larger abstractions of a movement into a tangible truth which was experienced by many Americans seeking a better life or to fulfill an image of national betterment. Whether through personal ambition or a twist of fate, the Hobo celebrates the great potential for either good or evil in emergent movements. The Modernist penchant for dramatization casts doubt over the realism of its true accounts- almost as though Modernist literature claims to be true and then winks playfully at its readers.

The perspective of each author and their experiences with both Britain and America greatly influenced the topic of the literature as well as the role of the beggar. For Guthrie, the working man was a slave to his social status, his responsibility to his role, and to the pride of the men who stoked the fires of the Industrial Revolution and, with it, modernity. “Bound for Glory” autobiographically recorded the author’s experiences, but the truth of this version is only known by Guthrie himself. After all, Guthrie’s grass roots account might have bolstered his public image as a musician- much in the way that a rap sheet increases the credibility of today’s musicians of the street. In the late 1930’s, the celebration of Hoboeism created “hobo vogue”. (DePastino 210)

Vagabonds In The Light Of the Modern Society

Weber and Bowling (356) state that the path of modernity was full of structural social upheaval. The increased mobility of people resulted in the appearance of “masterless men”,  beggars and vagabonds. These people were considered a free and mobile, however, they were also the society’s outsiders. (Weber and Bowling 356) This status of being an outsider also meant that they were not only excluded from local communities, but also the legal protection of the state. The behavior of these people was described as disorderly and idle. They were not “a part of the system”. With the appearance of industrial society, the common perception was that vagrants’ place would have been in the factories, not on the street. In the feudal society, however, everybody who returned to their parish after leaving it had to face criminal punishment. (Rawlings)

In America, however, the role of the tramp was different from the role of the vagabond in Europe. According to Pothinos (2), the first appearance of tramps in the American society dates back to 1873, when millions of wage-dependent workers were displaced and hit the street. Tramps, in this case, did not choose to stay out of the society; they were deprived of their means of living and became unemployed, consequently losing their connection with the mainstream society. (Pothinos 1) Later, tramps were described as drunkards, as well as outsiders with weak work-habits and without goals in life. They were thought to be foreigners, while it was not the case. The diversity of hobos and tramps was much greater than in the mainstream society, however, this was due to the tolerance expressed by the group members (groups formed on an ad-hoc basis), while the traditional society rejected most of the ethnically or socially diverse members. This diverse feature of group dynamics is clearly visible in Guthrie’s “Bound for Glory”.

Weber and Bowling (369) conclude that those not complying with the social norms and accepted behavior are looked at “suspect citizens”, are prejudiced against. They are considered to be “outside of the law”, therefore, are automatically treated as suspects. The “world in motion” created by modernity (Weber and Bowling 369) has also made modern vagabonds “unwelcome” in the society.

A vagabond, in the modern American society is different from the British tradition’s perception. In colonies, it is an extremely “racialized” person who is not tied to a certain place, but is required for the plantation economy. (Edwards 224) A tramp, on the other hand, does not ride trains: it hikes and travels through the country without means of transport.

A hobo, in modern terms, can be equivalent to a path-seeking entrepreneur or freelancer. They do not “belong to” an industry, profession or company. Originally, they free-lanced completing “odd jobs”, with no social ties, no permanent address or relationship. They were (and are to this date) marginalized, alienated and mobile, going against the commonly Accepted Norms Of The Society.

Conclusion

While modernity embraced the world off-kilter, looking at the present as though it already stretched into the years of memory. The Hobo serves as a human illustration of the contrast between the pragmatism of traditionalism and the idealism of modernity. Woody Guthrie’s “Bound for Glory”, Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Amateur Emigrant” both view the relationship between the Hobo, modernity, and society in different lights, ranging from the more balanced account of Guthrie to the firm, opposite views of Stevenson.

The above review of descriptive features and themes has proven the initial thesis statement of the authors; alienation, “otherness” and exclusion from mainstream society is present in both texts examined. The status of an outsider is a result of having no connections (family or economic roots) to the society, local community, and this also leads to refusal of people living according to social norms. In the “Bound for Glory”, however, the community bounds and dynamics are described in more detail: even though they are rejected by “common people”, the characters find acceptance in the hobo/vagabond community, which has only loose ties, is formed on an ad-hoc basis and has no set rules/norms.

Literature presents the world through a narrow scope, and the author points and tilts the lens to allow the reader to see like them. It is often said that the late years of a person’s life bring a new clarity and purpose. Perhaps this accounts for the publication of “The Amateur Emigrant”, which Stevenson withheld in earlier years to preserve his association with the stylized, light-hearted literature which brought fame during his life. (Gray 80) Ultimately, even the bleak account of Guthrie uplifts the unfortunate reader with its rags-to-riches conclusion, exchanging the “pretenses of civilization for the authenticity of the road.” (DePastino 210) Regardless of personal feelings about the virtue of this philosophical stance, the appeal of finding something true and certain appeals to the majority of people even today.

Works Cited

Allen, J. Homelessness in American Literature: Romanticism, Realism, and Testimony. Psychology Press 2004. Print.

Davies, William H. The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp. 1908. Print.

DePastino, Todd. Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America. University of Chicago Press. 2003. Print.

Edwards, B. H. The Practice of Diaspora: Literature, Translation, and the Rise of Black Internationalism. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2005), 224.

Gray, William. Robert Louis Stevenson: A Literary Life. Palgrave MacMillan: NY, NY. 2004. Web.

Guthrie, Woody. Bound for Glory. Plume Publishing. 1943. Print.

Habermas, Jürgen. “Modernity: An Unfinished Project” Chapter 1. In: Maurizio Passerin d’Entreves & Seyla Benhabib eds. (1997) Habermas and the Unfinished Project of modernity, MIT Press. Print.

Hobsbawm, Eric. Industry And Empire: The Birth Of The Industrial Revolution. The New Press. 1999. Print.

Muller, Johann & Nico Cloete. To Outwit Modernity: Intellectuals And Politics In Transition. Transformation, 14, 1991: 24-41. Web.

Pothinos, C. “The Tramp in American Literature, 1873–1939” AmeriQuest. 5/1 2008. Print.

Rawlings, P.  “Policing: A Short History” Uffculme, Devon: 1999. Willan. Print.

Singer, Ben. Melodrama and modernity. 2001. Columbia University Press. Print.

Smiley, G.”‘Great Depression’. The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics” 2008. Library of Economics and Liberty. 15 January 2014. Web.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Amateur Emigrant. 1895. Print.

Weber, L., Bowling, B. “Valiant Beggars And Global Vagabonds: Select, Eject, Immobilize” Theoretical Criminology 2008 12: 355. Print.