 |
|
|
|
Jonathan Chapman was a real man who lived from 1774 to 1845. Upon his death Senator Sam Houston (for whom Houston Texas is named), made a speech about him in Congress saying; "This old man was one of the most useful citizens of the world in his humble way. Farewell, dear old eccentric heart. Your labor has been a labor of love, and generations yet unborn will rise up and call you blessed." During Johnny Appleseed's life time the country went from being English colonies, to being the thirteen United States, to being an expanding frontier. Johnny Appleseed's life's travels are bounded by the Ohio River and the Wabash River. He planted apple trees from Pennsylvania all the way to the Wabash river on the western-most boundary of Indiana. |
|
|
|
Why the legend lives on today |
|
Scarcely a community in the midwest hasn't pointed to at least one apple tree it thinks descended from seeds introduced by Johnny Appleseed. Jonathan Chapman, the man, inspired curiosity, admiration, and an enormous amount of stories. Johnny Appleseed the Tall Tale legend lives on today because of his generosity, his reverence for life, and his courage in the face of many adversities. The story of his life is still important for us today because it is a story of finding one's path in life and sticking to it no matter what hardships come along. We are inspired by Johnny Appleseed just as we are by the Arthurian knights of the round table because he had a code of ethics that he lived by. Lastly, his story puts us in touch with nature, with the cycle of life, from which we are estranged in today's culture. I have chosen to use American folk arts to tell the story, partly because of their historical significance and partly, because their home-made, natural qualities are so reminiscent of the earlier days when we were more connected to the earth. |
|
