NEWSREEL

            The newsreel is Dos Passos's method of time-keeping within the novel.  It presents us with a taste of his time’s culture and what was making headlines.  It tells us what was “the buzz” during those first few months of 1899. Or 1906. Or 1912.  It gives the “nation’s view” on what is happening to the characters, the “big picture,” for instance, of Mac’s dedication to the worker’s movement.  The newsreels remind us that the characters' stories are not  separate, affecting one person and his immediate acquaintances.  On the contrary, each mini-storyline makes up a part of the history of an entire nation.  To more fully understand The 42^nd Parallel and the events and ideas that make it up, it is helpful to read the novel with Google.com close at hand; many of the references can be discovered with a little work.  Here is a sample of one of the Newsreels, with brief annotations.

            Newsreel 1

It was that emancipated race
That was chargin' up the hill
Up to where them insurrectos
Was afightin' fit to kill[i]

CAPITAL CITY'S CENTURY CLOSED

General Miles[ii] with his gaudy uniform and spirited charger was the center for all eyes, especially as his steed was extremely restless. Just as the band passed the Commanding General, his horse stood upon his hind legs and was almost erect. General Miles instantly reined in the frightened animal and dug in his spurs in an endeavor to control the horse which to the horror of the spectators, fell over backwards and landed squarely on the Commanding General. Much to the gratification of the people, General Miles was not injured but considerable skin was scraped off the flank of his horse. Almost every inch of General Miles's overcoat was covered with the dust of the street and between the shoulders a hole about an inch in diameter was punctured. Without waiting for anyone to brush the dust from his garments General Miles remounted his horse and reviewed the parade as if it were an everyday occurrence.

The incident naturally attracted the attention of the crowd, and this brought to notice the fact that the Commanding General never permits a flag to be carried past him without uncovering and remaining so until the colors have passed

And the Captain bold of Company B

Was afightin' in the lead

Just like a truborn soldier he

Of them bullets took no heed

OFFICIALS KNOW NOTHING OF VICE

            Sanitary trustees turn water of Chicago River into drainage canal[iii]  LAKE MICHIGAN SHAKES HANDS WITH THE FATHER OF THE WATERS  German zuchterverein[iv] singing contest for canarybirds[v] opens the fight for bimetallism at the ratio of 16 to 1 has not been lost says Bryan[vi]

BRITISH BEATEN AT MAFEKING[vii]

  For there’s many a man been murdered in Luzon

  CLAIMS ISLANDS FOR ALL TIME

Hamilton Club listens to Oratory by Ex-Congressman Posey of Indiana

NOISE GREETS NEW CENTURY

LABOR GREETS NEW CENTURY

CHURCHES GREET NEW CENTURY

Mr. McKinley is hard at work in his office when the new year begins.[viii]

NATION GREETS CENTURY’S DAWN

Responding to a toast, Hail Columbia! at the Columbia club banquet in Indianapolis, Ind., ex-President Benjamin Harrison[ix] said in part: I have no argument to make here or anywhere against territorial expansion; but I do not, as some do, look upon territorial expansion as the safest and most attractive avenue of national development. By the advantages of abundant and cheap coal and iron, of an enormous overproduction of food products and of invention and economy in production, we are now leading by the nose the original and the greatest of the colonizing nations.

Society Girls Shocked: Danced with Detectives

For there's many a man been murdered in Luzon

                                                                                                    and Mindanao

GAIETY GIRLS MOBBED IN NEW JERSEY

One of the lithographs of the leading lady[x] represented her in less than Atlantic City bathing costume, sitting on a red-hot stove; in one hand she held a brimming glass of wine, in the other ribbons drawn over a pair of rampant lobsters.

For there's many a man been murdered in Luzon

                                                                                                    and Mindanao

and in Samar

In responding to the toast, “The Twentieth Century,” Senator Albert J. Beveridge[xi] said in part: The twentieth century will be American. American thought will dominate it. American progress will give it color and direction. American deeds will make it illustrious.

Civilization will never lose its hold on Shanghai. Civilization will never depart from Hongkong. The gates of Peking will never again be closed to the methods of modern man. The regeneration of the world, physical as well as moral, has begun, and revolutions never move backwards.

Theory and Practice of Writing