¶ … War
"Studs Terkel's: The Good War
In The Good War Terkel presents the compelling, the bad, and the ugly memories of World War II from a view of forty years of after the events. No matter how horrendous the recollections are, comparatively only a few of the interviewees said that if the adventure never happened that they would be better off. It was a lively and determinative involvement in their lives. Even though 400,000 Americans died, the United States itself was not assaulted again after Pearl Harbor, the economy did begin to develop and there was a fresh contemporary feeling of humanity power that revitalized the nation.
A lot of women and Black Americans faced new liberties in the post war nation, but happy life following World War II was stained by the danger of the could be nuclear. Studs Terkel interviewed over 120 people by inquiring them to tell him about their experiences during the Second World War. Those interviews are the stories included in his book, "The Good War." This book is for those that are looking for a series of "war stories" by war veterans communicating their threads of courage under fire, look elsewhere; while there are some of those involvements here, the bulk of the book deals with the broader view of the disagreement - from "Rosie the riveter" to Japanese prisoners, to those that survived the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nightmare (consist of Americans who engaged the cities weeks after they were bombed. Unfortunately, they share similar stories.) However, the focus of this Essay is the subject of race during the "good war."
What was their recollection of the role they played in the American war effort?
According to Terkel, Many remember this time as when women of all races got an economic and psychological enhancement. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's, opened skilled, high-paying jobs to minority people were very unfortunate. Minority workers and soldiers remember making an unparalleled contact with other minorities as well as with whites. Thoughts of self-assurance and belonging, once appreciated, were not effortlessly abandoned. In short, Takaki who was interviewed says, " the war got the civil rights movement going."
The War: Was it different for Various Ethnic Minorities?
It is a thought-provoking specimen in time -- of " humbler times" -- when racism was the current situation, for instance, Terkel comprises the involvements of Tuskegee pilots and Naval ammunition trainers and stevedores, when the army was segregated, when women started taking over jobs for the effort of the war, completely supposing to be fired once the war had come to a close. As mentioned earlier, one of the interesting themes in the book was the widespread and deep-rooted racism of the average U.S. soldier and his government. As one particularly bizarre case, some white Gis told their English friends that blacks had tails. Blacks were shot and hanged by white soldiers. And while these men were fighting fascism! "I fear that in this, we have come only a short way."
Not a lot had happened to change things in the years between the two world wars. Racism was at its highest peak since slavery. Bill Broonzy, the blues singer, commemorated his doughboy life in the World War One: "When I got in the army they called me boy. I wonder when I will be called a man? "Over 2.5 million African-Americans registered for the design before and during World War Two and of that number, nearly half served in one of the four branches. None of the services, on the other hand made it to the 10% quota; most had from 8 -- 9% blacks in their positions. Nearly three-quarters of all blacks who took part in World War Two were in the Army.
However, because of the discrimination, not many were allowed to engage. Instead, they gave them cheap jobs.
Did they Feel Value or Slighted?
According to Terkel, most of the minorities thought they...
These men represented a number of virtues and standards that were in accordance with those core, basic elements of humanity that the war threatened. The affection that the author feels for the old breed, in their attempts to help him and others ultimately win their own personal wars against debauchery, are alluded to in the following quotation. War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste. Combat leaves an indelible mark
WW2 For FDR, the Second World War served as a vital opportunity to revitalize the American economy after years of depression. Therefore, a large part of Roosevelt's justifications, ideas, and visions of the war centered on the economy. The war boosted employment levels, helped involve more women in the workforce, and propelled the industrial development of the nation. The war machine offered impetus for financial investments in industry as well as
Consider the following quotation in which he reflects on the companionship between him and his peers. War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste. Combat leaves an indelible mark on those who are forced to endure it. The only redeeming factors were my comrades' incredible bravery and their devotion to each other. The Marine Corps training taught us to kill efficiently and to try to survive. But it also taught
Attacks on Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center had similar historical events surrounding each attack. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George W. Bush used similar policies to combat further attacks and unite the nation The paper highlights the entwined American reactions to the September 11 attacks and the Pearl Harbor attacks. The paper illustrates the similarities in which the over-prevailing backgrounds of each event created reactions to the devastating measures that
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now