In previous attempts to import the letter data individually (by date order) to obtain a more defined graph of selected words for frequency analysis, a slight problem arose in the exported data graphs. At the bottom of these images, the dates of the unpublished letters were so numerous that they became unreadable, and the static graph in raw frequency form did not establish a viable trend of core words within the letters.
Going back to two of the four previous case studies [the published letters of Paul Jones and the unpublished letters of Sam Riggins], a better organizational tactic was utilized by grouping the letters in yearly quarters. A more desirable outcome existed for word use trends.
For example, here are the exported four graphs from the Paul Jones published letters. {Data on Voyant-tools} The words chosen for analysis are: home, war, letter, and write.
Going back to two of the four previous case studies [the published letters of Paul Jones and the unpublished letters of Sam Riggins], a better organizational tactic was utilized by grouping the letters in yearly quarters. A more desirable outcome existed for word use trends.
For example, here are the exported four graphs from the Paul Jones published letters. {Data on Voyant-tools} The words chosen for analysis are: home, war, letter, and write.
Examining the four graphs above provides a look into word trends within the published letters. The first quarter on the graph is the third quarter of 1915, with the last quarter being the third quarter of 1917. [Paul Jones was killed in action by a snipers bullet in a battle on July 31, 1917.]
Connections to the home in these published letters was the greatest in the first months of 1916. The use of the word 'war' fluctuated and could be contributed to Jones' reassignments that brought him closer to the front lines at certain points in his service. Of course, being in the trenches near the action of the front would be news to send back home. What is surprising to note about the other words is that they increased in use as the word 'home' decreased. Could this be supporting evidence for my question in the previous blog post concerning word substitutions for 'home?' Letter writing was certainly a tool for continuing the connection to home. While they did not occur in relative frequency as much as the word 'war,' the fact that these graphs show an uptick in their use, while the use of the word 'home' dwindled, could suggest that they were used in place of 'home.'
But in order to established a firm argument, more data should be analyzed. The next re-defined data set is the unpublished letters of Sam Riggins. Here are the same words graphed from the Riggins letters. {Data on Voyant-tools} The words chosen for analysis are: home, war, write, and letter.
Connections to the home in these published letters was the greatest in the first months of 1916. The use of the word 'war' fluctuated and could be contributed to Jones' reassignments that brought him closer to the front lines at certain points in his service. Of course, being in the trenches near the action of the front would be news to send back home. What is surprising to note about the other words is that they increased in use as the word 'home' decreased. Could this be supporting evidence for my question in the previous blog post concerning word substitutions for 'home?' Letter writing was certainly a tool for continuing the connection to home. While they did not occur in relative frequency as much as the word 'war,' the fact that these graphs show an uptick in their use, while the use of the word 'home' dwindled, could suggest that they were used in place of 'home.'
But in order to established a firm argument, more data should be analyzed. The next re-defined data set is the unpublished letters of Sam Riggins. Here are the same words graphed from the Riggins letters. {Data on Voyant-tools} The words chosen for analysis are: home, war, write, and letter.
With the letters of Sam Riggins, the graphs begin with the 4th quarter of 1917, and ends with the 1st quarter of 1919. Riggins ended up back in the states in May, injured.
The use of the word 'home' diminished considerably after the first couple of months Riggins was in the army. Much like that of Paul Jones. But what is noteworthy in this set of letters is the fact that the relative frequency of the use of the word 'home' is much higher that the use of the word 'war.' This is a noticeable difference that I've maintained all along about the comparison of these two core word trends in published letters versus unpublished letters. Published letters will reflect less use of the word 'home' and more of the word 'war.'
The secondary discovery of the word substitution for 'home' can be observed in the same uptick of the use of the words 'write' and 'letter.' The word frequency has its greatest use in the 3rd quarter of 1918 when Riggins is transferred to New York and then sent over to France. While he decreases his use of the word 'home,' he increases the connection words 'letter' and 'write.'
A continued analysis of letters is needed to gather greater supporting evidence of these trends. The perfect scenario would be finding a group of soldiers' letters written in the same time frames, whether by quarters or by years, and then compare the published letters to the unpublished letters in this context to provide an indepth view of the voices of these letters and their connection to home.
The use of the word 'home' diminished considerably after the first couple of months Riggins was in the army. Much like that of Paul Jones. But what is noteworthy in this set of letters is the fact that the relative frequency of the use of the word 'home' is much higher that the use of the word 'war.' This is a noticeable difference that I've maintained all along about the comparison of these two core word trends in published letters versus unpublished letters. Published letters will reflect less use of the word 'home' and more of the word 'war.'
The secondary discovery of the word substitution for 'home' can be observed in the same uptick of the use of the words 'write' and 'letter.' The word frequency has its greatest use in the 3rd quarter of 1918 when Riggins is transferred to New York and then sent over to France. While he decreases his use of the word 'home,' he increases the connection words 'letter' and 'write.'
A continued analysis of letters is needed to gather greater supporting evidence of these trends. The perfect scenario would be finding a group of soldiers' letters written in the same time frames, whether by quarters or by years, and then compare the published letters to the unpublished letters in this context to provide an indepth view of the voices of these letters and their connection to home.