German Railway's Positive and Negative Aspects in Society

RESPONSE PAPER
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Response Paper
The paper probes an article by Segal Zef, one of the authors who addressed railway naturalization in the 19th century. The response to the article is critical since it provides reliable information of the author and argument on transport history and art. The railway is a significant transport that has positively enhanced economic, social and political growth in contemporary society, and its portrayal in the landscape was relevant. The response is based on the article summary, author’s argument, and analysis based on the course content
Summary
The author’s main argument is that the German railway had both negative and positive aspects in society. It was identified as a source of progress and a destructive element to nature. Therefore, contradictory features of the railway allow the author to link it to the ‘naturalization’ criterion. The article shows how the German train system transformed to a landscape aspect from a symbol of industrialization. The major visual aspects that stimulated such transformation are the postcards and the lithographs. The publications occurred in different German localities to show the necessity of railway transport. Industrialization in Germany also shifted due to railway depiction leading to the growth of specific towns such as Siegerdof and Wiesdorf. Therefore, the summary adequately shows the key ideas of the author.[Zef Segal, "The naturalization of nineteenth-century German Railways as depicted in visual discourse, " The Journal of Transport History (2021): 15.] [Ibid: 4]
Argument
The author’s main argument is that the German artists accurately showed a railway system as a natural landscape compared to French, British, and American artists. According to the author, it means that the naturalization of the railway was effective since it integrated the artistic needs in the 19th century. The author also believed that railways were the major visual merchandise among the Germans. The arg...