Jean Pearson, from the series Theater Girl, for Life Magazine

One Book One Northwestern, 2024–25

This artwork was selected in response to themes in Northwestern’s community-wide reading of The Night Watchman (2020) by Louise Erdrich.

In 1949 W. Eugene Smith documented the life of a young actress, Jean Pearson, as she tried to break into show business. For his Life Magazine photo essay, Smith photographed Pearson all around New York City at rehearsals, on the street, in cafes, and at home. This sustained look at a chapter in a person’s life serves as an archive of one style of self-presentation at the time.

Set in the early 1950s, The Night Watchman pays similar attention to cues about self-presentation and outward appearance from the same time period. Below is an exchange the character Patrice Paranteau has with her mother Zhaanat as Patrice is about to leave for Minneapolis to look for her missing sister:

…when she stood back, Zhaanat smiled as she took in her daughter’s shined shoes, her bright coat, pin-curl-waved hair, red lipstick. Valentine had even lent her gloves. "You look like a white woman," said Zhaanat, in Chippewa. Patrice laughed. They were both pleased at her disguise.

The passage highlights how individuals sometimes choose to perform identities through appearance and behaviors. While Smith’s photographs are supposedly candid, the performative aspect of his subject is similarly apparent. In the passage above, the mother-daughter duo praises Patrice’s successful disguise, which masks the painful motivation behind her trip.

We are happy to provide a shareable pdf booklet and downloadable images for teaching and engagement. You can schedule a class visit to discuss these works in person in our study center by contacting Essi Rönkkö at essi.ronkko@northwestern.edu.