Houdini, Tarzan, And The Perfect M Chapter Summary
1795 Words8 Pages
Katie Laskey
Dr. Ellsworth
HIS 112.104
29 September 2014
Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man: The White Male Body and the Challenge of Modernity in America
Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man: The White Male Body and the Challenge of Modernity in America, by John F. Kasson. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001. 256 pages. Reviewed by Katherine A. Laskey
Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man, is written by John F. Kasson who is uniquely qualified to write this book as he currently serves as a professor of history and American Studies at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He studied at Harvard University, received his PhD from Yale University, and has written five books on American cultural history. In Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man,…show more content… Shortly after his birth, his family immigrated to a small town in Wisconsin, and then later moved to New York. Ehrich always dreamed of being a magician. He shed his Jewish name to avoid racism and adopted the name of Harry Houdini.9 Like Sandow, Houdini became more muscular in order to perform his acts which became known as the “Metamorphosis,” the greatest novelty mystery act in the world.10 After years of struggling, Houdini rose to success in 1899 and his escapes became very popular throughout North America and Europe. He became a “theme” act which included eating needles and handcuff escapes.11 His escapes became more and more daring involving the San Francisco police in 1899 and the use of handcuffs, leg irons, and a straitjacket.12 Like Sandow, Houdini performed nude and by exposing his naked body he highlighted his vulnerability.13 He continued coming up with more complicated escape routines involving a wicker hamper, a tire grip company, coffin and Chinese water torture and became known as the “greatest self-liberator” of the age.14 This idea of self liberation and freedom are exactly the feelings of the frustrated population who were working in factories during the Industrial