2
5-2 Short Answer: Skills in the Humanities
I have chosen to write about the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The Eiffel Tower was
created by entrepreneur Gustave Eiffel, engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and
architect Stephen Sauvestre. The project of the Eiffel Tower was completed during the Victorian
Era in 1889 and stand’s 1,083ft tall (SOFTEAM, n.d.). The Eiffel Tower was made up of
thousands of pieces and was all made by a company owned by Gustave Eiffel. The Victorian era
was a time of advancements in the arts and sciences, which have impacted the world we live in
today through various political movements. During this period of Queen Victoria’s reign until
she died in 1901, is when voting and the economy began to grow, and Britain became a powerful
nation (Steinbach, 2023).
The idea of building the Eiffel Tower was criticized, even by famous people of art and
literature. People then did not believe the tower could stand at its planned height without falling
because it was the first tower built at this time. When the tower was completed, the criticism
stopped after 2 million people visited for its debut at the World’s Fair. Since then, other towers
have been built in different parts of the world.
The French are a sophisticated culture that values beauty and art in their country. In 1889,
when the tower was built, it symbolized “French know-how and industrial genius” (SOFTEAM,
n.d.). Now, in the 21
st
century, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of romance due to its design and
curves. The Eiffel Tower was scheduled to only stand for 20 years, and due to the work being
done in the laboratory with scientific experiments it held back in the 1900s, the French decided
to save it from destruction and continue the work they were doing. Since- it has also made
“technical advancements in radio and television” (SOFTEAM, n.d.).
