Sticks and Stones · Question
How does Sticks and Stones develop the theme of The Myth of Progress and the Pioneer?
Answer
Sticks and Stones by Lewis Mumford develops The Myth of Progress and the Pioneer across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The author critiques the pioneer myth of starting anew, showing that early settlements actually preserved medieval European traditions, while later 'progress'—driven by exploitation and speculation—led to cultural and architectural decline.
The chapter challenges the myth of the pioneer as a break from Europe, arguing instead that early settlers prolonged medieval traditions, and critiques the exploitative westward expansion.
The author explicitly challenges the 'myth of the pioneer' as a free band starting afresh, arguing instead that New England settlements were a continuation of medieval European traditions, and that the true pioneer spirit of cooperative community-building was distinct from the later exploitative expansion westward.
Discusses the irrecoverable nature of colonial architecture's 'moment' in history, suggesting that modern revivals, despite technological and scholarly progress, cannot replicate the original creative spirit.
Evidence in the book
- I: The Medieval Tradition
The chapter challenges the myth of the pioneer as a break from Europe, arguing instead that early settlers prolonged medieval traditions, and critiques the exploitative westward expansion.
- I
The author explicitly challenges the 'myth of the pioneer' as a free band starting afresh, arguing instead that New England settlements were a continuation of medieval European traditions, and that the true pioneer spirit of cooperative community-building was distinct from the later exploitative expansion westward.
- Industry and the Machine
Discusses the irrecoverable nature of colonial architecture's 'moment' in history, suggesting that modern revivals, despite technological and scholarly progress, cannot replicate the original creative spirit.
- Chapter III: Regional Planning and the Reclamation of the Land
The chapter critiques the classic tradition as inadequate for modern structures like factories and barns, suggesting that the pioneer spirit of the early republic was misdirected by a backward-looking architectural ideal.
- IV: The Diaspora of the Pioneer
The pioneer's relentless expansion and mining of resources—both natural and human—is critiqued as a destructive force that undermines stable communities and architectural quality.
- I
Industrialism is portrayed as a force focused on increasing physical means of subsistence, yet it led to a lapse in architectural quality, questioning the notion of progress.
- II
The chapter critically examines the watchwords of progress and expansion, showing how the pioneer mentality—both in land and industry—led to a ruthless exploitation of resources and a disregard for established culture and architecture.
- Chapter III: Regional Planning and the Reclamation of the Land
The gridiron plan is presented as a 'laborsaving device' that appealed to the pioneer's desire for simplicity and growth, but it ultimately prioritized speculation over civic vision.
