Rather than start a new thread, I dug this one out of the archives. This is a long post, so stick with me.
Recently I've been going through Indy's life chronologically, and I'm now in the troublesome college years. But I think I've found a way to reconcile the inconsistencies.
Indiana Jones: The College Years
In the quest for a consistent chronology of the life of Indiana Jones that is inclusive of all canon sources, Indy?s college years are the most difficult. According to
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Indy enrolled in the University of Chicago in the fall of 1919 to study archaeology, and his roommate was Eliot Ness. However, in the first two chapters of
Peril at Delphi, Indy graduates in 1920 with a degree in linguistics after completing four years at the University of Chicago; his roommate was Jack Shannon.
Using Lucasfilm guidelines, the films and TV episodes are of a higher canonical value than the novels. However,
Peril at Delphi should not be discarded; it can merely be modified in the following ways:
1. The Prologue is dated 1922 and Chapter One begins ?two years earlier?. This should be changed to ?one year earlier.?
2. A mention that Prohibition had started ?a few months back? should be changed to ?last year.?
3. It states that Indy lived in a dormitory for his first two years and in an off-campus apartment the last two. This should be changed to one year each.
These simple changes allow Indy?s college years to be summarized as follows:
September 1919 ? Indy arrives in Chicago and enrolls in the University. Although his interest is in archaeology, he also studies linguistics to pacify his father, who is unhappy with his choice of schools. (He could major in linguistics and minor in archaeology, or perhaps take up a double major of linguistics and archaeology. In either case, he consistently tells friends, ?I?m studying archaeology.?) He lives in a dormitory with his roommate Eliot Ness, who doesn?t share Indy?s love of jazz music. At some point, Eliot introduces Indy to Jack Shannon, an accounting student who plays jazz cornet.
Summer 1920 ? Indy travels to New York and Los Angeles, working to earn money to continue his studies.
Fall 1920 ? Indy returns for his second year at college. He and Jack Shannon rent an off-campus apartment. His teachers include Abner Ravenwood and Charles Kingston; his classmates include Harold Oxley and Magnus Völler.
Winter 1920 ? Indy goes on a field trip to Honduras where he meets René Belloq, a student from the Sorbonne in Paris. They become friends and explore Mayan ruins together; they discover a crystal skull which Belloq steals and sells to F.A. Mitchell-Hedges (from an unproduced
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode; Indy?s friend Harold Oxley would most likely also be involved in this adventure, given his later interest in crystal skulls).
Spring 1921 ? Indy and Jack graduate from the University of Chicago. (I believe Indy was able to earn a linguistics degree in only two years because he began his studies already speaking over twenty languages.)
Summer 1921 ? After an anthropology expedition to Alaska (from anther unproduced episode) Indy enrolls in the Sorbonne to continue his study of archaeology, influenced by his friend Belloq.
Winter 1921 ? Indy and Belloq travel to Brazil with Charles Fawcett (another unproduced episode).
Spring 1922 ? Indy and Belloq travel to Ur, Iraq with Peruvian archaeologist Andres Uribe. (
Arms of Gold)
Summer 1922 ? During the summer break, Indy travels with his former professor, Charles Kingston of the University of Chicago, to Panama. (
Staff of Kings)
October 1922 ? In his second year at the Sorbonne, Indy goes with Professor Belecamus to Greece. (
Peril at Delphi)
Any comments or criticisms are welcome. Especially regarding my placement of
Staff of Kings since I don't own the PSP version which includes this prologue.
Phil
