Abstract
Mont Saint-Michel and Chartres (1913), by Henry Adams, is a study of the 13th century unity with descriptions about the medieval world. In this book, Henry Adams depicts several well-known monuments and old sights of France, all of which were built during the middle Ages. Published in 1913, this book gives a firsthand view of the monuments as experienced by Adams. As a foreword to his book, he explains the sights and sounds in his background as he experiences this bliss. He finds that the most perfect audience would be a young niece carrying a new Kodak camera, and emphasizes that all his descriptions should be read while bearing this picture in one's mind. He recounts his experience as if he is speaking to a curious ten-year old little girl with a craving for all things gothic. In this essay, we will focus on a particular sub-section of Mont Saint-Michel and Chartres, as Adams wanders in the gothic cathedral of Chartres. Located in the south-west of Paris, this cathedral draws him to the Virgin of Chartres, a statue representing the mother of Jesus Christ. It was assumed to be built according to the gothic tradition of the middle Ages. Adams lets his imagination wander as he tries to picture to himself in front of the Virgin's memories or reflections upon her statue as a godhead. He also gives a rather accurate description of the stained-glass windows which are depicted as huge frescos, allowing the reader to interpret further through the gothic structure. Further in the book, the reader can also find plans of the cathedral itself, reproduced from actual documents, that gives the measurements and lots of other different details such as angles and materials used in the construction.
