Entry #9: Jacob Lawrence and David Brower

The two passages that I chose from these sections of the Studs Terkel Reader were the stories of Jacob Lawrence (the artist) and of David Brower (the environmentalist). I chose these two stories because they seemed like two people that I would more reasonably be able to relate to for different reasons. As an actress, I think in some of the same ways as an artist like Lawrence does. Similarly, because I am a vegan and an environmentalist myself, I figured that I would be able to connect with Brower's point of view. I was right on both stories. Lawrence talked about his experience during the great depression and how he and his generation actually benefited from it. The government created programs to improve life for average American citizens and this included the youth of their society. Many art programs were funded by the United States government and this helped create some of the best artists and performers of their generation. Lawrence talked about what a shame it is that America does not fund the arts in the same ways in modern society. In schools now days, the first programs to be cut for budget expenses are classes in dance, theatre, music, and art. People have lost so much of the appreciation for art in today's society and young boys and girls are embarrassed to show their passion for it. Society has lost some of the great appreciation for art that existed during the great depression. The question is, why? How did we let this happen? Why is nothing being done about it? It is up to the leaders of today's society to create the same programs that existed during the Great Depression. If we lose art in our communities, we lose the spirit in our souls. That might sound incredibly cheesy, but it is true. If people give up on their artistic and expressive sides, then they have given up on true happiness and personal freedom. Lawrence would strongly agree with this belief. I was also able to understand where David Brower was coming from. He brought up the importance of people speaking out for what they believe in and not holding back due to fear of the repercussions they may suffer as a result of self expression. He said that the older generation is obligated to stand up and defend their beliefs on what is right and what is wrong because they have less to lose than the younger generations. He felt that they had less to risk in terms of job security or children's college tuitions. He was right, but I still feel that it is every man and woman and child's duty to speak up against injustices and wrongdoings and demand change. I think that he had the right idea in every person being obligated to risk their security and reputation for the betterment of society, but I strongly believe that it is in fact every single person in society who is obligated to do this, not just those of the older generation. Both men had very interesting perspectives on life because of the rough times they endured through their years. I found both stories exciting and relatable because I could understood what caused the fire each of these men's bellies. I understood their passion and their intent and I love hearing these inspirational stories and encouragement from men like them.

Entry # 8: Introduction, Dolores Dante, and Phil Stallings

I found this chapter of The Studs Terkel Reader to be incredibly interesting and perhaps the most relatable of all the sections of this book. He focused once again on the lives of everyday people, but it was on their occupation as opposed to certain hardships they faced. He seemed to see the task of working differently than most people. Through his many interviews with average citizens working in average jobs, he drew some very interesting conclusions about what kind of job makes someone truly happy. One woman that he interviewed, Nora Watson, added an interesting perspective when she said, "I think most of us are looking for a calling, not a job. Most of us, like the assembly line worker, have jobs that are too small for our spirit, Jobs are not big enough for people." She was one hundred percent right. People want to find purpose and meaning in what they do. The happiest people do not seem to be the highest paid men in a law firm, but they are the artists just able to pay their rent but doing so by spending everyday doing what makes them happy. People edit their titles to make themselves sound more important and they feel a need to impress society with their responsibilities in the workforce, but this is not what gives their work meaning. To enjoy their lives they need to be passionate about their jobs. One man was comparing the work of a banker with the work of a fireman and he really makes it clear that what people want most of a job is something to make their lives fulfilling. He said, "I worked in a bank. You know, it's just paper. It's not real. Nine to five and it's shit. You're lookin' at numbers. But I can look back and say, 'I helped put out a fire. I helped save somebody.' It shows something I did on this earth." What people need is a sense of purpose. What good does it do to waste our time here on earth doing a job that makes us miserable and does nothing to really help society or the people around us? Dolores Dante added some very interesting insight into this idea of fining joy in your work no matter what it is you do. She had been working as a waitress for the last twenty five years and she was well aware that people did not think of this job as anything too impressive or fulfilling. She, however, did. She gives her opinion to her customers on whatever they may be discussing, from politics to her own personal philosophies. She said, "I just can't keep quiet. I have an opinion on every single subject there is. In the beginning it was theology, and my bosses didn't like it. Now I am a political and my bosses don't like it. I speak sotto voce. But if I get heated, then I don't give a damn. I speak like an Italian speaks. I can't e servile. I give service. There is a difference." I found it fascinating to hear her talk about her job this way. She really put thought into everything she did and said. She would not call people ma'am, but instead calls them milady. She does not simply ask people what they want to drink, but asks in fun and interesting ways to keep herself entertained. She is not concerned so much with tips, but with the personal enjoyment she can bring herself out of her day. That's all she needs. She actually cares about the people she serves food to, sometimes going as far as mixing their salads herself because she knows how they like it and what will satisfy them better than the cooks do. It is an exhausting job to her but she loves it. She does not see herself as 'just a waitress' but as a loyal friend to her customers and finds true joy and entertainment out of her job. A very different interview on the subject of working in ordinary jobs was done with a man named Phil Stallings. He had a very different perspective on his job than Dolores Dante. He worked in an assembly line at a factory and did not find his job fulfilling in the slightest bit. He did not love his job at all. In fact, he found it to be almost painful, saying "repetition is such that if you were to think about the job itself, you'd slowly go out of your mind." But he found the solution. He believed that "if you involve yourself by yourself, you overcome this." He knows that as a worker in the factory he is not really treated with respect or valued by his employers. It cannot be easy to look at lifeless, mechanical systems and know that your bosses value these more than they value you. He said that "If the machine breaks down, there's somebody out there to fix it right away. If I break down, I'm just pushed over to the other side till another man takes my place. The only thing they have in their mind is to keep that line running." Stallings knew that he was mistreated at work and he hated the way employers abused him and the other factory workers. He knew that he could get a job somewhere else, but the pay was best where he was. The most curious part, however, was that although he hated working in the factories, he actually really enjoyed the job itself. He said, "Funny thing is, I don't mind working at body construction. To a great degree, I enjoy it. I love using my hands- more than I do my mind." He knows that he does good work and he tries to find ways to make the best of his situation at the factory. Dolores Dante loved the job that she did. She knew people did not think of it as a very fulfilling job, but she found her own joy in it. Phil Stallings, in a way, did the same. Even though he hated the way his employers treated him at his job, he found ways to enjoy the job itself and loved that it allowed him to use his skills to accomplish something. Work is about more than getting a paycheck, it is about finding joy in your days and it is important to see that you can do that in any job you have, but only if you find a way to truly make it fulfilling to yourself. It will do you no good to simply work a job for high pay, but you will live happier if you can find a way to enjoy the job you have so it seems less like work and more like a lifestyle.

Tom Kearney and Dennis Heart

I loved reading about Dennis Heart's answers to the different questions he was asked. He had such an honest and open way of looking at the world. He came from a poor family but grew up to be a sensitive and hard working man. The portion of his interview that struck me most was when he was asked, "Do you ever cry?" In trying times, many men try to remain strong and put on a facade that says they are brave and nothing can shake them. Heart does not believe this though. He believes that "in order to be a man, I have to have a heart also. This is part of his composure. Every time I cry, I feel more like a man later on," (240). This outlook on life and how men should behave illustrates how brave this man really was. He was comfortable in his skin and was not the kind of person who put on false fronts to try to impress others. This honesty is also seen in his relationship with African Americans. In his day, there was still strong prejudice attitueds against blacks and many of his closest friends held these racist attitudes. Heart, however, was able to look beyond the color of other men’s' skin and see them as equals. The way he speaks about African American men shows how much respect he had for others regardless of their race. He treated everyone with kindness and dignity which was a rare trait in such difficult times, when racism still ran strong through the country. Heart knows that white men do not all hold the same values of honesty and kindness that he does, but he feels that blacks are more capable of this openness. He said that, "I've known white people who make it a habit to cry to gain whatever they want to get. But I've yet to see a Negro cry for his own personal gain. If a Negro cries, he cries because he's truly hurt," (251). This goes to show how much admiration he had for African Americans and how deeply he respected how they lived their lives. He talked about how he believes there is good in everybody. He sees potential for greatness in each person he meets and looks for the positives. Dennis Heart was a caring, honest, and respecting man, making him a wonderful example of the brave souls who changed the functions of American society through his open-minded loving treatment of others.

Tom Kearney also saw the world through an interesting perspective. He did not see everything necessarily as positively as Dennis Heart did, but he still saw things with a very open mind about what was right and what was not. He was not racist against African Americans and was not judgmental of others' behaviors. He was actually quite respectful. I noticed the way he referred to African Americans as 'colored people' and referred to whites as 'Caucasians'. This seemed to be a more respectful way of distinguishing the two groups from each other instead of simply referring to them by blacks and whites. He talked about his views on demonstrations and protests. As a police officer he was opposed to any violation of the law, obviously, but he still supported people's right to protest and speak their minds. This said a lot about his character and his ability to see different people's points of view. He acknowledged everyone's right to speak out against what they found unjust. He also had a very interesting view on his duties as a policeman. He had a very difficult job with many risks to it. He came home exhausted and covered in bruises on a regular basis, but he did not complain. He simply accepted that this was how things worked. He knew what a difficult and dangerous job he was entering into when he joined the police force and he accepted the risks that came with the job. He is a very respectable man because he has such an unbiased outlook on life. He accepts things for how they are and deals with whatever situation comes his way. He works past the obstacles that challenge him and shows respect to others, whether he agrees with their opinions or not. I think he was a very admirable man, not only at the trying times he was reflecting back on during this interview, but also for who is now in present day. He has still maintained that honest and unbiased perspective on life and that is truly something to admire.

Entry #6: Peter Ota and Betty Basye Hutchinson

Peter Ota and Betty Basye Hutchinson had two very different experiences during the war. They came from families, different backgrounds, and different cultures. Both took part in the war, but only one by choice, the other by order. Peter was a Japanese American and his family had already been ripped apart and taken to concentration camps. The paranoia in this country destroyed his family. His father was arrested, which sent is mother into a depression and she soon became ill with Tuberculosis. When he, his sister, and his father, were evacuated to concentration camps, she had to stay behind in a sanitation area. She died alone, with her family spread out and far away. Peter's father was moved around from camp to camp and he was left, at the age of fifteen, with nobody but his twelve year old sister. They lived in the camp together, making the best of the horrible situation. But soon he was moving around for work, leaving his sister in the camp for the entire duration of the war. When he finally reached the age of a soldier, he was drafted into the military, forced to fight for a country that was holding him and his loved ones as prisoners. Looking back on how well behaved he had been during the war, following the orders of the government that suppressed his family and friends, he imagines that he would have been more resistant. But this was not his culture at the time; he was raised to be respectful, honorable, and obedient. The government took advantage of such a well mannered and dedicated group of young men and forced them to fight in a war that was only harming the people that they loved. Does this seem fair? Does this seem just? Does this seem American? Definitely not. But the rest of America was blind to this obstruction of justice as they focused on their own roles in the role. Betty Basye Hutchinson for example, became a nurse in the war. She did not know what else she could do to help, and wanted to be a part of the solution. Soon, she became much more than just an ordinary war nurse. She posed for a few pictures, and to her astonishment, she became famous. She was one of the most admired pin-up girls in America. She would receive boxes of letters each day from men who saw her picture and wanted to believe that they would meet up with her once the war was over. She was able to give these hardworking soldiers a hope for the future and to distract their tragic minds from the horrors of war, letting them focus instead on the idea of returning from the war to have a beautiful woman waiting eagerly for them.
Both of these two young Americans took part in the war, helping America succeed, but one was forced to do so while the other was simply encouraged and motivated to do so. Betty Basye Hutchinson was a young woman who was rewarded for her actions during the war. She was loved and adored by men all across the nation. Peter Ota on the other hand, was punished during the war. His family was locked up and separated and his was forced to fight in a war to preserve the government which held him prisoner for so long. How is it that such different experiences could have existed between two people in this nation during the war? How is it that two young adults, still teenagers, could have played such different roles in the war and been treated so drastically different? It was about their appearances. He was a Japanese American and looked like the enemy, therefore giving the government the 'right' to treat him as one. She was a beautiful, young, All-American girl, letting her be praised for simply taking a few photos to bring enjoyment to the soldiers. Who knew something so artificial as one's appearance could be the cause of such injustice?

Entry #5: Peggy Terry and E.B. (Sledgehammer) Sledge

Peggy Terry's recollection of America during World War II paints a very clear image in my mind of how manipulative our government was to the innocent people in society. She talked about the women she worked with making shells for bullets in the war. They were treated with no respect and worked under inhumane conditions. They were exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes that turned their hair and skin and eyes orange and made it hard for them to breath. They worked with detonators and took the chance of being blown up in a massive explosion in their own work station. They were threatened by their bosses and treated with absolutely no respect. They weren't even allowed to drink water or take time off to spend with their dying mothers! It is disgusting to see how horribly the poor were taken advantage of at the time. But it was worse than that. The government took advantage of them as well. They warped their minds and provided them with false ideas of what this war would mean and who they were fighting exactly. Terry recalls the characters she saw in films during the war. The Germans were generally a very good looking group of people but the Japanese were hideous, yellow, little people who looked nothing like Americans. They were portrayed as a completely separate group of humans. They were made to seem scary and evil. People hosted bonfires in which the whole neighborhood was supposed to bring any belongings they possessed that had been made in Japan and throw them into the fire. When reflecting on these times of misinformation from the government, she realizes how much they contributed to the mass paranoia in the country. Americans were lead to believe that the bombing of Hiroshima was a terrible incident that simply had to happen, but they did not realize at the time exactly how horrible it was. She later learned that the bomb had not been dropped on the enemy at all. It had not hurt the Japanese leaders who were killing American soldiers. It did not bomb the men responsible for the war between Japan and America. It bombed innocent women and children just like her and her own kids. It bombed people who had absolutely nothing to do with their country's decision to go to war or not. It killed countless innocents and didn't even touch the men responsible. After years of being misinformed about the activity of the American government or about their Japanese immigrants, she was finally able to see how manipulated her perception of the war was. She was able to see how mistreated she was and how her rights were violated. She was able to see how her patriotism was taken advantage of by the American government and she was able to see how easily people can be manipulated.

This passage was very different than the previous passage. This was the memories of a man who fought in the war in Japan. He saw the violence and the gruesome acts inflicted from soldiers on each side to soldiers of the opposite side. But not only did he witness these monstrosities, he was right in the middle of them. He talked a lot about how savage the Japanese were. He tried to save a man's life one time, a Japanese soldier who was starving and almost immobile. He and his buddy carried this poor man until they could find medics to help him. Despite this being an enemy soldier, they took pity on him and tired to save his life. In return, this Japanese soldier pulled out a grenade and tried to kill them all. That's what they were up against every day. How can soldiers be faced with that cruel of an enemy and not turn savage themselves? Well, it turns out that many Americans did. It was not that they were brought up with the same corrupt ideas of war as the Japanese were. It was not that they had always been dangerous and angry men who enjoyed inflicting pain on their enemies. This was simply a matter of survival. In order to outlast such horrible conditions and fighting tactics of their enemies, they had to retaliate by showing this same cruelty and savage behavior. They ripped out the gold teeth of their Japanese enemies and they killed old women who got in their way. They shot at the bodies of already dead corpses and they took no mercy on helpless or dying Japanese soldiers they found. He struggled with this change of spirit, however. He had not been brought up to enjoy violence or to accept these cruel tactics. He knew that these were good men at one point, but now he saw the monstrous behavior that they showed towards the Japanese enemies and he had to question his involvement in the war. He had to question any American's involvement in such a horrible crime. This passage really shed light on the effect that war has on its soldiers. Whether it is the men who turn savage, or the men who struggle to resist this path of cruelty, all men involved were forever changed and scared from such horrible times.

Entry #4: Introduction and Bob Rasmus

World War II brought many changes to American society, many positive and many negative. As white men were leaving for the war, society was forced to become more leaniant and accepting of women and blacks. Women were hired into the work place and blacks were given opportunities previously reserved for whites. Women were freed from the role of a houswife and able to challenge themselves by accepting jobs in factories or buisnesses. While blacks were still able to participate in the army, they were often segregated into all black troups. Still, they gained respect and proved their loyalty to American society. Another possitive advancment in America was the development of a middle class. During the Great Depression, Americans were either very wealthy or severely underprivleged. With new job opportunities filling the nation, people were finally able to find work and many moved up on the economic ladder. Not everything about this war worked out for the benefit of the American people, however. A new generation of Americans had lost their innocence as a result of the country's involvment in this war. Young girls stopped spending  their days carelessly playing with dolls and spent their days fearing that bombs from Japan would be dropped on their hometowns. Young boys were going into battle and killing other young boys. One story in this section recalls the memery of a particular American Soldier who was fighting the Germans. He acknowledged the fact that these soldiers fighting each other to the death were nothing but young boys. They were still in their awkward, adolcent phases and now they were killing each other left and right. These boys were forced to become men and were robbed of their youthful innocence. A new grief filled the nation as these boys died over seas before they ever really had a chance to live. The war had its ups and its downs, but no matter which aspects you choose to focus on, the war had a lasting impact on American society.

The story of Robert Rasmus tells the experiences of an eighteen year old American boy who fought in World War II. Before he entered the war, he was filled with a burning desire to be one of the brave soldiers he always saw in the newspapers who were fighting for a cause bigger than themselves. He thought it was admireable and wanted so desperately to join the army. This wish was not one worth fulfilling, however, which he quickly learned once he was actually enlisted. He saw his best friends in the war die in battles that he had merely missed out on because of the flu. He received reports of his fellow soldiers dying in battle or going missing in action. What had once been a fantasy full of adventure and courageous men, was rapidly becoming a nightmare full of tragedy and dead buddies. Despite the fact that he was tought to fight and kill as if the Germans were animals and not people, Rasmus was still strongly effected by the devistating actions he was forced to take part in during battle. One story that stood out particularly, was the story he told about the day he saw a Russian soldier trying to strangle a German soldier to death with his bare hands. He had been told that the Germans were the enemies and the Russians were the allies. Nonetheless, he saw this scene as one of corruption and vengence and felt obligated to step in and stop the murder from taking place. This could not have been an easy decision. He was killing Germans and capturing German towns everyday in battle, but he was witnessing a man strangle another to death and this resinated deep inside him as a horrible sin. He forced the Russian to release the German soldier and let him live. This must have been very confussing to him at the time. The Russian was supposedly his allie and he was obligated to assist in the victory of Russia and the destruction of Germany, but he could not bare to watch this young boy strangle the life out of another young boy with his own hands. He was in the middle of a bloody and devistating battle, but he still knew where to draw the line and recognized what was beyond the actions of an honorable soldier. The experiences of Robert Rasmus clearly illustrate the confusing and misleading impressions set in the minds of the American soldiers both before and during the war. They were originally told that the war was a glorious place where a boy became a man, but when they were finally in battle, they learned that the war was a horrifying death trap that would ruin their lives for good, if they were even fortunate enough to live.

Entry #3: Jane Yoder and Tom Yoder, and Peggy Terry and Mary Owsley

Jane Yoder's story not only makes a statement about the hardships for Americans during the Great Depression, but makes a statement about an issue facing modern day American society as well. Jane grew up in a family struggling to make ends meet. All she wanted when she was young was the guarantee of warmth. She wanted a coat or a blanket and even that was difficult to afford. She went on talk about her current lifestyle when it comes to saving money verse spending it. She talks about people who own thirty blouses and that she could never bring herself to own so many. She grew up grateful to have one or two shirts to wear, and even though she could afford it now, she could never bring herself to spend money on owning so many unnecessary clothes. In our modern society, owning thirty blouses is nothing. I would bet that my friends and each have over a hundred shirts each in our closets, and too us this still doesn't seem to be enough. Americans have become greedy, never satisfied with what we have and always wanting more. Jane did not grow up with that outlook on life. Her father worked tirelessly to earn enough money to provide food for his children, but even that seemed an impossible task at times. In her interview, Jane spoke of how her and her other three siblings would quietly suffer through the hunger, never asking their father to go to the grocery store because they were aware of their father's financial struggle and knew that if there was not already food at home that day, they were not going to afford anything at the store. Her son spoke about this subject as well. He brought up the fact that he and his siblings have never had to go to bed hungry, and they probably never will. They can never truly understand the struggle that his mother, along with millions of other Americans, endured. Our society is incredibly blest to have been exempt from experiencing this kind of lifestyle, but it would greatly benefit each and every one of us to learn these lessons of learning to be grateful for what we are fortunate enough to have, and resist the temptation to spend frivolously on what we do not need.

The interview with Peggy Terry brought up another issue in modern society of how differently Americans think and behave towards the poor or the homeless. During the Great Depression, people understood that being poor did not mean that you were lazy, but it meant that you had suffered a great lost and were struggling to get by. Peggy and her husband would hitch rides from town to town. Along the way, people would offer them a place to sleep or a real mean which was scarce to come by. American's who were wealthy enough to afford their own food and maintain a respectable home, would often share their excess food with their neighbors. People when out of their way to help strangers and understood that it is the duty of every human being to lend a helping hand to anyone who is less fortunate than they are. In her interview, Peggy told the story of a woman who brought Peggy and her husband into her home, gave them a place to sleep, and provided them with a feast. She gave the pregnant Peggy milk to drink and even filled a bucket full of milk for Peggy when she and her husband were ready to leave. Peggy and her husband begged the woman to let them clean her rugs or at least do some form of work to repay the woman’s kindness. This woman wanted nothing from them except to let her help them. Still, she allowed them to clean her rugs because she knew they wanted to prove that they were not asking for charity and allow them to show their gratitude. This story reminds a bit of Sandra Bullock’s movie, The Blind Side, when she brought a poor high school boy into her home and took care of him as if her were her own son. She did not want anything from him in return, but only wanted to provide him with a better life in any way that she could. That story was incredibly touching, but unfortunately, that kind of selfless act does not happen very often. Now days, people pass judgments on poor and homeless men and women. People assume that because they are out of work that they must be lazy and unwilling to go out and look for a job. Of course there are some Americans who still make an effort to help the poor. People will give a dollar to homeless man on the sidewalk or give their leftovers from dinner to a woman sitting on the side of the road, but even these acts are nothing in comparison to the selflessness shown by some Americans during the depression. Americans were understanding and sympathetic then, showing a level of care that you just do not see in the average American anymore.