Author: Morgan Evans

Jackie and Her Pink Suit by Morgan Evans

Jacqueline Kennedy was one of the most famous first ladies the United States has ever known. One of the reasons why she has been known as such is because the Kennedys were the first presidents to be aired on national television. Jackie made a lasting impression on Americans during their time in the White House. She invited cameras into the White House for a tour, the first of its kind. She was known for her beauty, poise, and charmed leaders across the world.

For fashion, Jackie led the American culture towards a more progressive and trendsetting. Perhaps Jackie’s most iconic look during her lifetime was her “pink Chanel suit.” Although the suit looks exactly like a Chanel watermelon suit, it was American made by a high end replica designer, Chez Ninon. The designer had specifically made the suit for her in 1961 It was made of wool with a matching pillbox hat with navy blue accents. [1]

Jackie had been photographed wearing the suit more than just on the infamous date in November. At least half a dozen times she was recorded wearing the suit. It was a personal favorite for John, as he actually requested that she wear the suit in Dallas. It was the suit that she wore when John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot. The suit is famous because she was sitting next to her husband when he was assassinated next to her.

For the duration of the day preceding the events, at Parkland Hospital, swearing in Lyndon B Johnson, and returning to the White House receiving her husband’s body, Jackie Kennedy continued to wear her pink suit with visible blood stains. At the hospital, those close to the first lady asked her to change out of the outfit but she refused and replied “oh, no… I want them to see what they have done to Jack.”[2]

Jackie never had the suit cleaned. In fact, in 1964 she sent it in a box with a note written herself that reads “Jackie’s suit and bag- worn November 22nd, 1963.” The pillbox that matched the suit was not with the rest of the outfit and its location is unknown. In 2003, Caroline, the daughter of John and Jackie, donated the suit to the people of the United States. Today, the suit remains in the National Archives collection in Maryland, where it hasn’t been seen by the public in more than 50 years and is maintained in a temperature controlled room. The suit will continue to remain unseen for generations to come, approximately 100 years since Caroline gave it to the United States’ people. The US will not release the suit to be on display to the public for this length of time for fear of popularizing the assassination itself.[3]

Now there are reproductions of the suit that can be seen every Halloween or in movies about the lives of the Kennedys. Although few people have actually seen the suit stained with blood of John F Kennedy since Jackie finally took it off, it is an iconic look that will forever be burned into the images of Americans minds on a day that lives in infamy.

[1] Randi Kaye, “50 Years Later, Jackie Kennedy’s Pink Suit Locked Away From View,” November 21, 2013, CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2013/11/21/us/jacqueline-kennedy-pink-suit/index.html
[2] Aleksandra Andonovska, “Jackie Kennedy Wore Her Blood Spattered Pink Chanel Suit for the Rest of the Day After JFK’s Assassination,” The Vintage News, October 25, 2016, http://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/10/25/i-want-them-to-see-what-they-have-done-to-jack-jackie-kennedy-wore-her-blood-splattered-pink-chanel-suit-for-the-rest-of-the-day-after-jfks-assassination-2/
[3] Randi Kaye, “50 Years Later, Jackie Kennedy’s Pink Suit Locked Away From View,” November 21, 2013, CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2013/11/21/us/jacqueline-kennedy-pink-suit/index.html

American Dream Within The Wizard of Oz – Morgan Evans

Why has L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz remained one of the most cited movies 75 years later[1]? There are so few book-made-movies that have lasted as long as this tale has from 1939. It is still shown annually on different television networks, despite further technological advances than just technicolor. For generations, this movie has adapted to fitting different applications and can be used to explain different themes and ideas while adapting to society over time.

One of the more prominent themes of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the American dream. It has been and still can be applied to various different political and social perspectives. One of the more striking themes of the children’s book is its analogous story to the American dream.

A very obvious connection between the story and the American dream is that idea that working hard can pay off. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy along with the scarecrow, tin man, and the cowardly lion all must trek along the land of Oz to get to the Emerald City, following the yellow brick road, in order to get Dorothy back home. Like the American dream, hard work is rewarded with the achievement of one’s goals. For Dorothy, it’s going home, which she eventually gets. In America, hard work can lead to that ideal family in a suburban home with a white picket fence.

The things that the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion are seeking are also important elements to the American dream. Brains, heart, and courage are essential to succeed as Americans. Intelligence is important to getting a job in America to be able to work and being able to make money. This characteristic might be identified first for the classic order of the American dream: go to school, get a job, get married, have children, and live happily ever after.

Heart, and more specifically, love is important to accomplish the classic American dream. The story of how the tin man came to lost his heart is also a fascinating component that could relate to the image of a happy marriage. In the traditional view of the American dream, children will result from a happy marriage.

Finally, courage is the last identified trait. To me, this means standing up for what you believe in and doing right by your family and country. Although not as direct or clear as some of the other ideal characteristics for Americans, this was still important to living the American dream in the early twentieth century.

I also see the story as a promotion of a sense of patriotism for America. Even though Dorothy is a young girl from Kansas who describes the land as grey and bleak, she still comes to realize that there is no place like home: the United States. During her adventure through Oz, there are a number of different lands she must cross within their country. Some are exciting and are described to be beautiful, but Dorothy knows that despite the boring place that her Kansas life might bewith her aunt and uncle, she knows how important that is in her heart and values her family. All of which resembles the classic image of the American dream.

[1] Andrew Pulver, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Wizard of Oz is Still the Most Influential Hollywood Film,” The Guardian, January 20, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/20/wizard-of-oz-most-influential-hollywood-film-star-wars-psycho